1941 – 2022
On July 16, 2022, after a long hard struggle with heart disease, at the age of 80, Dieter passed away peacefully in his sleep. He displayed profound determination to return home after a month long stay in the hospital. He was able to spend his final days in the comfortable surroundings of his own home, surrounded by his loving family and many friends.
Heartbroken by his loss is his loving wife of 58 years, Ursula, his son David (Lisa) of Edmonton, and his daughter Petra (Richard) Worth of England, U.K. He will be dearly missed by the pride and joy of his life, his three grandchildren, Cameron and Rebecca Bergt and Joel Worth. Dieter is survived by a sister-in-law in Germany and numerous nieces and nephews in both Germany and Canada. He is predeceased by his parents and siblings all in Germany.
Born in Coswig, Germany during the second world war, he was the youngest of three siblings. In his early life, he remembered living in barracks with multiple families and growing up when food was often scarce. He suffered from malnutrition and even contracted tuberculosis. At the age of fourteen, he began his apprenticeship in pipefitting. Prompted by talks of adventures among his friends, he decided to immigrate to Canada in 1959.
Eventually, Dieter completed his Canadian trade certification in welding at N.A.I.T. He was a long-standing member of Local 488 pipe trades. He proudly worked on the construction of numerous Edmonton area hospitals, the Edmonton Refinery and projects that took him to Fort McMurray, Whitehorse and Resolute Bay in his long career as a welder.
In 1963, he was introduced by his mother still residing in Germany to a beautiful young woman that his mother knew. He, and the young “Fraeulein”, Ursula Matthies, began corresponding by letter soon after. Dieter travelled back to Germany to meet Ursula in person and they had a brief two week courtship. Ursula arrived in Saskatoon the following August, where Dieter was living, and four weeks later on September 5, 1964, they got married.
The hobbies Dieter enjoyed when he was younger were boxing, fishing, hunting and eventually camping with his young family. He was great at fixing things and would always find a solution to repair something in the house or tinker with an old appliance to get it running again.
Dieter and Ursula were members of the Victoria Soccer Club – a German club in North Edmonton. In their younger years, they enjoyed the company of many great friends they met there, and often went dancing on Friday or Saturday nights. He loved his “rock ‘n’ roll” and dancing the Jive.
Together with Ursula, he travelled numerous times back to Germany, Switzerland, and England. They went on many cruises and also travelled to Mexico, Hawaii and Barbados.
In his retirement, Dieter loved spending time with his grandchildren. He looked forward to his weekly meeting with the local coffee group to catch up and set the world straight again. In the summer, he took great pride in growing tomatoes in the garden.
Dieter loved to watch documentaries and all sorts of sports on TV. Most of all, he enjoyed watching ice hockey, especially his beloved Edmonton Oilers. He was hoping to still witness the team capture one more Stanley Cup win, but sadly his time ran out. Dieter also liked science and nature, geography, history and astronomy. He was a very knowledgeable man in all sorts of ways.
Dieter had a very easygoing nature and was known for his humor right until the end. He was a man of faith and was a serving member of St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the compassionate team of doctors and nurses involved in cardiac care at the Royal Alexander Hospital who treated Dieter for over 30 years and particularly the past 6 weeks when his heart condition suddenly worsened.
Friends and family may pay their respect during his funeral service on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 11:00am at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 10759-96 Street.
Donations in Dieter’s memory may be made to St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Serenity Funeral Service
North Central Chapel
780-477-7500
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of BERGT Dieter July 16 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Edmonton, Province: Alberta