Obituary of Gilbert Unger
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Gilbert Unger, beloved husband of Emily Unger and father of Bertram (Audrey Unger) and Michele (Bob Casey), ‘Pa’ to Jesse, Ailis, Sebastian and Sullivan. Gilbert passed away at home, peacefully in his sleep on November 15th after a brief illness.
Dad was born on October 14th, 1940 in Blumenhof, MB, the fourth of ten siblings. After high school, he studied Education and Geography at the University of Manitoba. His first teaching job was at a one room schoolhouse in Giroux, MB. His life-long passion for travel and photography began with two years of volunteer work in Burundi, Africa. Following his marriage to Emily, the love of his life, he began a teaching career in God’s River, MB.
They moved to Rainy River, ON next, where they purchased a small farm. There they farmed, fenced, gardened and transformed the rustic farmhouse into a beautiful home. Dad taught geography at Rainy River High School, coached volleyball, was a Union Rep, Divisional Consultant, and became Vice Principal of the school. Summers were spent looking after the farm and taking family road trips throughout Canada and all 48 of the lower United States. Weekends were spent fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and skiing. Dad was first and foremost a teacher, teaching his children about many things; geology, rocks, boreal forests, karst topography, hay-baling, fence-repair, and most importantly things of the heart, love, commitment and passion for life.
Dad was a deeply spiritual person and faithfully attended church in every community he lived in. These include the Covenant Church in Baudette, MN, a small Pentecostal church in Blue Township, Ridgewood EMC church, and Good Life Chapel in Mesa. He was also active in the Gideon’s Bible Society.
In 1980, he moved to Blumenort, MB, and was quickly promoted to Superintendent of Hanover School Division, a position he held until his retirement in 2002. He was well known by his staff for his active involvement in teacher evaluations, making sure he regularly visited each teacher’s classroom.
Shortly after retiring, he and Emily left to do volunteer school administration in Indonesia and later Brazil. They continued to travel widely, Mount Rainier and Zermatt being two of their favourite destinations. They established strong friendships wherever they went, including their winter home in Arizona where Dad was involved in several hiking groups and enjoyed singing in the choir. Dad loved photography and doing stained glass. He kept active, walking, cycling and hiking many miles a day, greeting people he knew, and always making new friends.
Dad was deeply loved by those around him. He impacted many peoples’ lives, and his light, love, strength and zeal for living have impacted each of us deeply.
A livestreamed viewing will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, begining with a slideshow at 7:00 p.m. followed by the virtual viewing at 7:30 p.m. to join the family please visit the following link. www.oneroomstreaming.com/view/authorise.php?k=160626167387219
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to EMC Missions, 440 Main St, Steinbach, MB R5G 1Z5.
Due to current covid-19 restrictions, we will have a ceremony celebrating Gilbert’s life at a later date.
1940 2020
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Gilbert
Unger 1940 2020..
Décès pour la Ville: Steinbach, Province: Manitoba