Gralf was born in Bremerhaven, Germany to parents Harry and
Henriette Bohnsack. He had a taste for adventure and liked to tell
about how he travelled by motorbike through Germany, Netherlands and
Belgium as a young man. He and his sisters Karin and Marlies did
competitive figure skating and ice dancing both on ice skates and
roller skates.
He received his certification and worked as an optician in
Germany and then, wanting to see another part of the world, took a job
in Reykjavík, Iceland. It was there that he met his wife to
be, Stella Klara Thorarensen. They were married and moved to Akureyri,
in the north of Iceland where he opened his own optical store,
Gleraugnaversluninn. His son, Harry and daughter Sigrún
Maria were born in Iceland.
In 1970, at the recommendation of his sister, Marlies
Friesen, they moved to New Brunswick where their third child, Stefan,
was born and where they have lived ever since. He, and later with his
wife and son, Stefan, operated Regent Optical on Regent St near the
market in downtown Fredericton from 1973 until
2019.
He loved gardening, working with his flowers, vegetables and
trees for much of his spare time. He sought to keep busy with his
interests including making craft beer using his own home grown hops,
as well as making Icelandic skyr, growing his own tobacco plants and
making hundreds of litres of apple cider from the apples on their
property on Mactaquac Heights.
Gralf passed away in the early morning in his
sleep.
He is survived by his wife Stella and sister Marlies Friesen,
brother in Germany Heiner Bohnsack, and three children Harry Bohnsack
(Paula Steffler), Maria Mossman and Stefan Bohnsack (Aisha Fahmy). Six
grandchildren are missing their grandfather: Erik, Elise and Alanna
Bohnsack, Vanessa and Milo Mossman as well as Lexie Bohnsack, and also
nieces in Germany and nephews in Canada and the US.
He was pre-deceased by his parents, by his brother Harry and
sister Karin, as well as two siblings who died in
childhood.
According to the family’s wishes, there will be no public
visitation, but rather a small private gathering of
family.
Condolences can be conveyed through Bishop’s Funeral
Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the
Doctor Everett Chalmers Hospital Foundation.
19362020
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Gralf Onno Franz Bohnsack 19362020..
Décès pour la Ville: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick