FAHRMANN, DIETER passed away peacefully on December 29, 2022 in Columbus Residence at the age of 90.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 65 years, Erika, his sons Michael (Lynda) and Peter (Naomi), his grandchildren Sarah (Peter Winters), Eric (Brianna), and Karl, and his great-grandchildren Lauren and Annika.
Dieter was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on November 10, 1932 to Paul and Elisabeth Fahrmann. He was predeceased by his youngest sibling, Juergen and is survived by his younger sister Ingrid.
Dieter had a difficult childhood in Germany during WWII, as he was separated from his family and evacuated to a series of foster homes in the countryside to escape the bombing raids in Gelsenkirchen. Strongly influenced by his childhood experiences and seeking a better life than post-war Germany offered, Dieter decided to emigrate to Canada and arrived in Quebec City on September 23, 1954 with $35 and virtually no knowledge of the English language. After experiencing one winter in Toronto, he continued westward to Vancouver and found his new home. He once told us that if he hadn’t liked it in Vancouver, he planned to move on to Australia. Although Australia is nice too, we are all delighted he decided to stay here.
Dieter had been dating Erika in Germany before he emigrated, and kept in touch with her faithfully after he arrived in Canada. Eventually, he was able to persuade her to follow him to Vancouver, and she arrived in Vancouver on October 12, 1956. They married at Holy Family Parish on April 27, 1957. The wedding reception was held aboard a German merchant vessel moored in Vancouver harbour, complete with German beer.
After arriving in Vancouver, Dieter found work as a maintenance man at Canada Ropes in Richmond, and through hard work and a lot of night school eventually moved from the shop floor to the front office. By the time the US corporate parent moved the business to California in the late 1970’s, Dieter was the President and General Manager. Another successful immigrant to Canada.
Although asked to move his family to California and continue his role in the business, Dieter decided to remain in Vancouver and formed a new business with several partners. Sadly, Dieter suffered a series of major strokes on May 15, 1981 and was unable to resume his role as the managing partner. He never worked again.
The early post-stroke years were difficult for Dieter, and Erika. But eventually their life found a rhythm and they were able to enjoy their new lives, with their expanding family, and their strong network of good friends, both in Vancouver and in Europe. They were able to travel abroad, and particularly enjoyed cruises and bus trips.
As devout and committed Roman Catholics, Dieter and Erika bonded with other members of the German immigrant community in Vancouver as long-time parishioners at Holy Family Parish, which offered masses in the German language. In fact, most of their closest friends were people they met through the church. In addition, Dieter was a life-long member in the Kolping Society and served several terms as president of the Vancouver chapter.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 10:00am at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Vancouver.
Interment to follow at Gardens of Gethsemani at 1pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Columbus Long Term Care Society.