Fred passed away peacefully in Winnipeg with his wife of 51 years, Shirley, by his side.
Fred is lovingly remembered by his children, Angie (Royden), Patricia (Rob), and Robert (Alison). He was Opa to Kimberly, Joshua, Alli, Shayla, Gavin, Aidan & Austin. They will miss him so much!
Fred worked for Winnipeg Hydro for 36 years. Fred was a minister in the New Apostolic Church for 38 years and enjoyed doing missionary work in Africa, India, and Asia. He was a loved and respected teacher and pastor. Fred was an avid stamp collector since childhood and was an active member of the Winnipeg Philatelic Society.
A special thank you to Dr. Wong and the staff at CancerCare, HSC, and also to Dr. Garcia and staff on 3 East - Palliative Care Unit, Riverview Health Centre. We really appreciated their excellent care.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date due to COVID travel restrictions. In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, donations in Fred's name can be made to any charity or to the NAC Foreign Extension Inc.
Fred was born on March 13th, 1944, in Hindenburg, Germany, which is now called Zabrze (pronounced Zabjay) Poland. As a child, Fred lived in Asperg, Germany. In 1953, when he was 9 years old, Fred came to Canada with his parents and siblings. They first settled in Alberta because they had relatives there, but later moved to Winnipeg because Fred’s father, Willy, was a member of the New Apostolic Church in Germany and wanted to attend the same church in Canada. Fred’s mother, Hedwig, and the children became members in Winnipeg and the family attended church faithfully.
Fred graduated from Tech Voc High School in 1964 and then literally walked across the street and worked at Winnipeg Hydro for the next 36 years. He started work in the Appliance Service department, then moved to the Meter Branch, and then later moved to the Technical Services Branch where he became a Technical Advisor. He was so capable with everything electrical. He had such an attention to detail. He retired from Winnipeg Hydro in 1999, at the age of 55.
Fred married Shirley in 1968, and they had 3 children; Angelica, Patricia and Robert. A year after Angie was born, Fred was ordained as a Priest in the New Apostolic Church. He always placed God first in his life and he tried his best to help the congregation grow. Fred’s ministerial work was volunteer, but he received wages of Blessings. Over the years, Fred and his family enjoyed God’s help in many ways.
In 1981, Fred made his first missionary trip overseas, travelling with Bishop Jansen Sr. to Nigeria. In the mid 80’s Fred involved himself with helping with Laotian guests in the Winnipeg congregation. Fred and his wife helped sponsor 2 families to come to Canada from refugee camps in Laos. Fred continued to help with the missionary work overseas and used his holiday time from Winnipeg Hydro to travel for the church. He made 10 trips to India (Chennai) and 38 trips to the Philippines, which included working in Korea and Malaysia- Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak and Sabah. After retiring from Winnipeg Hydro, Fred had more time to travel. He trusted fully in God’s help and he was not afraid. With many prayers he travelled safely and remained generally healthy. Besides his overseas work, Fred was also a Rector of a small congregation in Winnipeg for a few years. Fred retired from his Church Ministry in 2009.
After retiring, Fred and his wife spent more time in Germany with friends and family. They travelled to many beautiful cities, and enjoyed the scenery, architecture, and good wine! Fred & Shirley also enjoyed hosting German friends when they visited Canada. Fred liked to drive, and taking road trips to the mountains and east to Quebec were always highlights.
Fred’s favorite hobby was Stamp Collecting. He joined the Winnipeg Philatelic Society in 2007 and after his retirement, he enjoyed spending more time “playing with his stamps.” Fred also enjoyed reading and studying family history. In Germany he acquired much family memorabilia and had donated items to the historical society in Eglosheim, Ludwigsburg.
Fred was very talented. He could fix almost everything- watches, appliances, and plumbing. He was so capable, and organized, and thrifty. The grandchildren knew where to bring broken toys.
Fred also enjoyed a brief modeling career. One day in 1987, when they were short of money, Fred came home to say that he had been “discovered”. A lady had approached him and offered him a job as a ‘stand in” for an actor in the movie “The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick” which was being filmed in Winnipeg. Thus began Fred’s career with Sarge Talent! He was an extra in a couple more movies and was also pictured in some advertisements. He enjoyed the little piece of fame, and it was a Blessing that provided the extra money they needed.
Fred was predeceased by his parents, Friedrich Wilhelm and Hedwig Altvater. He is survived by his Siblings, Sieglinde, Gisela (Heinz), Norbert (Suzanne) and Gerald. He also leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Shirley, and Children, Angelica (Royden), Patricia (Rob) and Robert (Alison) He was Opa to Kimberly, Joshua, Alli, Shayla, Gavin, Aidan and Austin. They all miss him So much. He has many dear nephews, nieces, in laws, cousins and brothers and sisters in faith. In his last days he always prayed for all those loved ones who were praying for him. He really appreciated those prayers!
We are Thankful for all of Fred’s Work and Help in making our lives Happy and Blessed. We are Grateful to our Heavenly Father and His Servants for their Love, Guidance and Prayers.