Obituary
There once was a boy from a beautiful Isle called Guernsey, nestled in the Channel Islands. One minute they belonged to France, the next to England.
This is where Dad’s story started.
A British subject by birth, he lived and worked in England, then Germany, then Switzerland – where he did a 4 year Painter/Decorator apprenticeship before emigrating to Toronto, Canada. It was there where he met Mom and where I was born.
She would become the love of his life.
Our journey as a family took us back to England for 7 years. Dad worked long hours and commuted to London daily…about 25 miles. We lived through some lean financial years, but Dad never let me feel like we were impoverished.
My 2 fondest memories:
* Picking up fish and chips for Friday night dinner…
* Going to the dump to hunt for treasures. We got to know the local Didicoi (Gypsies) who were looking for metal. We were looking for books and art, so no competition to them! I still have some of the treasures we found (it’s amazing what people throw away!!)
Dad made even the most basic thing feel like an adventure, so I never really understood how poor we were in those early years.
As time went on, Dad established Gauger & Co Decorating, started part time instruction at a trade school and we moved up to the Middle Class.
Just as things were getting good, all three of us felt a draw to unfamiliar mountains: The Rockies. We had never been West and we didn’t know anyone here. But when we called a friend to ask from which city we could see the Rockies, he said Calgary. That gave us a starting point.
Dad went ahead and found a home to rent in Turner Valley, AB, which they subsequently purchased. We were awestruck with the wild beauty of the area, but Dad was always working. He formed another Gauger & Co Decorating and was on the road 7 days a week. I remember him driving 6 hours from home on the Icefields Parkway to the Jasper Park Lodge and then working a 12 hour shift. This was typical. He was such a hard worker and so proficient at his craft that he was in high demand. He even did murals at Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, AB and the ROM flew him out to do a special silk hanging that only a handful of people in Canada could do.
He would sometimes take me to see his specialized work and even then, I knew that he was actually an artist.
Fridays were typically my favorite day because Dad would bring back groceries for the week… and we would have amazing discussions at the dinner table with a classical music backdrop. He would often quiz me on history and geography to help me with my tests.
He’d head out again Saturday morning, long before I woke up.
On his days off, he worked in the garden. We had a little Datsun at the time (who remembers those?!). We got a permit, drove to the Kananaskis and loaded 13x 8 foot spruce trees on the roof rack. We had to crawl through the windows to get in and I’m quite sure that was in violation of any number of codes….but we made it home and by the next day, we had planted all of those trees.
Today, they tower 30+ feet and his garden foundation is something that would rival pictures in any magazine.
In particular, he loved roses. They were his pride and joy.
But in the Foothills, the weather can be extreme and after 20 years there, a freak snowstorm in July that wiped out the blooms was the last straw for him.
My parents started planning a move to Peachland, BC in the beautiful Okanagan. It took 4 years, but they finally reached their shangri-la.
During the Turner Valley years, Dad befriended a stray cat. The cat had been living outside for so long, it was practically feral and looked like it had been through the wars. Dad set up a dog house outside with straw so the cat could have shelter. Every night when he was home, he would sit on the steps of the back deck and call the cat. I remember this vividly because it was outside my bedroom window. Night after night, he’d bring out food and call the cat. This went on for at least 3 months…until one night, the cat came up to him and let him pet him.
That was Roger, who eventually became domesticated through the sheer power of Dad’s love and persistence.
He moved to BC with Mom and Dad and was the most grateful, loving cat I’ve ever known.
What a life lesson!!
Dad loved all animals. He had a remarkable capacity to love them all, especially those that were in need or neglected…or maybe not so popular. Case in point: He was so pure of heart that wasps would sit on his arms while we’d be having breakfast on the deck and never once did he get stung. He would say hello to them and welcome them as living creatures serving a purpose on this planet…just like us. Mom and I would watch in amazement.
Consequently, for Father’s Day many years ago, I bought Dad a statue of Francis of Assisi. I thought it was apropos. It remains in the garden today and is a tribute to his love for all creatures great and small.
In 2021, Mom and Dad moved back to High River, AB to be with us. For Kevin, my husband, and for me, it was a dream come true! The family was finally reunited and we were so excited to create memories in our newly expanded house and the new Carriage House built for Mom and Dad.
A year to the day that we brought them here, Mom had a series of heart attacks and departed this world for a better one.
We were all devastated. But for Dad, this was a loss that was beyond my comprehension. He wanted to leave right away to be with her, but I begged him to stay a while longer because Kevin and I couldn’t bear to lose them both.
Dad hung in there for 4 months. And in that time, he made sure all the financial affairs were sorted and his storage locker was emptied.
Our last Hurrah was a trip back to the Okanagan to see their many wonderful friends….just 2 weeks ago. What an incredible group of friends they have there! Dad had his favorite picture of Mom with him which he gave to everyone. The trip was a farewell to her….but actually, it was his own farewell. We had so much fun on the long drive there and back and when he said he was happy to get home to High River, I didn’t really clue in.
I now realize that he was so happy because he knew everything was in order…that he had delivered on his promise to me to stay a little longer for us to make sure we were OK…that he had said goodbye to his dear friends…and that he was now free to be reunited with the love of his life. His final purpose in this life had been fulfilled.
Today we bid a final farewell to Dad. A great man. A kind man. A gentle man.
As a family, we used to love to play the card game Rummy…and Dad always had a joker in his shirt pocket. So we sent him off with a Joker… just in case he needs it up there….and a fresh bouquet of flowers to give to his bride.
We truly know that they are now together in a much better place. They are whole, happy, healthy…and continuing their love story.
And we send hugs to all of the wonderful people whose lives they touched and who have reached out with such kindness and love. You were so, so precious to them both.
Wow!~ OK, I need to get some kleenex…and a glass of wine….
So this is the last chapter for me on paper…but definitely not the last for them. We feel them all around us, enveloping us in their love.
One day, we will see them again. Until then, we hope they pop by now and then to let us know all is well.
No need to send flowers here. If anything, Dad would have been grateful for just a wee donation to your local animal shelter.
Please keep in touch. Friends of Mom and Dads are ALWAYS welcome in our home.
With love,
Deborah and Kevin
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Peter Max Brian Gauger High River December 6 1941
June 6 2022..
Décès pour la Ville: High-River, Province: Alberta
avis deces Peter Max Brian Gauger High River December 6 1941
June 6 2022
avis mortuaire Peter Max Brian Gauger High River December 6 1941
June 6 2022