THEODORE LEONARD HARSCH
(1920 - 2009)
Ted Harsch passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday 18 April 2009 at Bevan Lodge, Abbotsford, at age 89. He was born on 24 March 1920 in Provost, Alberta. He served in the Canadian Army during much of the Second World War, first as a gunner in coastal defence batteries on the west coast of British Columbia, then as a trooper with the armoured corps in Europe. After the war he returned to Alberta where he was a cowboy and an oilfield worker, moving to the Fraser Valley in the early 1950s where he was the manager of the Surrey Co-op bulk oil plant, and later a school custodian in Abbotsford. He retired in 1985. He was pre-deceased by his wife Yvonne in 1999 and is survived by his two sons, Master Warrant Officer (ret'd) Larry Dunlop, MMM, CD (Mary) in Greenwood, NS and Captain(N) Harry Harsch, OMM, CD (Renée Marie) in London, England, as well as his beloved granddaughters Lisa Arseneau (John) of Oromocto, NB and Lana Brady (Mark) of Okotoks, AB, and three great grandsons, Cody, Liam and Aidan. He is also survived by two of his six siblings, sisters Eileen and Edna. Ted was a gentle and charming man who made many friends over the course of his long life. Even though he suffered a number of heath-related challenges over the past five years, he never lost his quick wit and infectious sense of humour. Sincere thanks to the staff at Bevan Lodge for the exceptional care they provided during his final few years, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs for helping to make his life more comfortable. A very special note of gratitude must go to Lorna Koyanagi for having been such a good friend over the years. There will be no service by request. Ted's ashes will be interred in Provost at a later date.