It is with profound sadness that we announce that Ralf Hasenfuss passed away peacefully with his family by his side.
Ralf will be greatly missed by his wife of 36 years Valerie, his son Alexander, his two brothers Eckhart and Hartmut, and sister Edda. His friends and family in Germany, and all his Canadian family and numerous good friends.
Ralf was born and raised in Germany and lived there until he was 25 years old. The Canadian way of life drew him to Victoria, BC in 1980, where he met his wife, and had a successful career as a Residential & Commercial Painter and Decorator. He enjoyed beautifying the homes and buildings in Victoria, the city he loved. His passions were cars, food and art. He never missed a car show. In later years, Ralf could always be found in the summer sitting outside a pub or café downtown on a Saturday, talking with the many tourists that made their way to Victoria. He enjoyed their stories and was known for his gift of the gab.
Unfortunately, Ralf was diagnosed with MS at 47, and when he lost his mobility to walk, he transitioned his passion for colour into his new love of art. His family and friends always admired him for his willingness to adapt to new challenges.
A big thank you to Dr. Paul Kachan, Dr. Kristen Atwell-Pope, Dr. Paul Winston, and Dr. Stephanie Green for their care and compassion over the years and in his final days. To his friends and family, raise a glass of your favorite drink, as Ralf thanks you for the great ride and to the people that enriched his life. He loved you all very much. You know who you are. Prost! Cheers!
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the MS Wellness Centre of Vancouver Island.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Hasenfuss” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
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Stephanie Krohn Jarrar
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David Crone So sorry and sad to hear of Ralph’s passing. Such a kind and philosophical man, he will be missed by many people whose lives he touched over the years. Sending our condolences to Valerie and Alex with love from Dave, Jenny, Nina and Eli
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Bernhardt Keppler I was fortunate to have known Ralf for about 40 years. Our interactions were always so enjoyable. Even if we hadn’t seen each other for quite a while, the connection and warmth would always return quickly. Ralf was always so positive and interesting. It’s a big loss for all who knew him. My sincere condolences to Valerie, Alex and all of Ralf’s many friends.
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Russell Crone First time i meet Ralf was at my brother’s (David Crone) wedding back in 1995 at Raven hill Farm and we clicked straight away. I live in England and visited Vancouver island many times in the years after. Every time i would always hook up with Ralf and he would look after me and take me to so many great places, mainly great pubs and restaurants! Such an interesting guy and never a dull moment in Ralf’s company. In the latter years from 2018 we kept in touch by phone, more or less every week always having a bit of a laugh. Great man, Great friend RIP X
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Anthony Drury Ralf will always be in my heart as a great friend through the years since the mid 80’s. We laughed a lot together and often shared wisdom that only comes from real life’s experiences. I miss him already as he has passed but waits patiently on the other side for the next adventure. He knew what love is so he’s where he needed to be in the realm of love. See you in good time my friend. My heart goes out to his family especially Valerie and all those lives he touched. Tony
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Shannon and Jason Close Our deepest sympathies for your loss.
Ralph was a kind and thoughtful man.
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Rose Cartwright I received the news of Ralfs passing with sadness and so many memories.We go back four decades to our younger times.No one else could have pulled off his style with his long flowing locks and matching coloured leather pants and jackets that he wore under overalls as he painted and revived many of our heritage buildings down on lower Johnson St. In Victoria and elsewhere. To which there would always be a wonderful vintage Mercedes parked outside, Ralfs trademark. One of the most memorable times is driving in a Mercedes convoy,in 1992,from Germany to Greece where Ralf and his beloved wife Valerie became Godparents to my daughter Zoitsa.Over the years many special occasions were enjoyed and Ralf loved to socialize,communicate endless ideas about life, our shared passion of creating art,having a good laugh and sharing warm social times with good food and drink. Ralf very valiantly coped with his physical struggles with Valerie by his side every step of the way. They have always remained so open and optimistic. May he rest in comfort now. Our condolences to Valerie, son Alexander and all family and friends .
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Nathan Brice Uncle Ralph will be missed dearly but not forgotten. His ability to see the positives in moments and carry a conversation was brilliant. I always enjoyed meeting for a coffee and watching him engage the people around him and the smile he could bring to a total stranger. He found him to be progressively open minded even as his struggles grew, he always was willing to try something new, whether it was something to eat or experience. Later in life the weather constrained him, but to see him outside on sunny day was elevating. I am sure he would want us to smile in memory and make the most of sunny days.
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Aaron Brice My condolences to Valerie and Alex. Uncle Ralf was an extremely personable person with an inquisitive mind. He lived the life of an explorer travelling throughout all of Europe and across the entire US in Volkswagen Van. He loved to tell stories of the people he met and things he saw. He was gifted in seeing pleasing colour combinations which made him a gifted house painter. He was never afraid to tell a client with a white house that they needed to find some bravery and go for green or yellow… in which he was never wrong. He will be missed for his sense of humour and for introducing a Canadian family to German potato balls.
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Marjorie and Stephen Brice We remember Ralf as an adventurous free spirit with an inquisitive, kind, and caring nature. Ralf had a complex and daunting life rising each day knowing the challenges he had to overcome and yet, whenever we saw him we were met with a smile and a very sincere, “How are you doing?”
We count ourselves among the fortunate to have shared so many wonderful times and great laughter with such a wonderful man.
Valerie and Alexander, we have witnessed your personal strength, resilience, and strong loving bonds.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of your husband, father, friend, and soulmate.
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Lorraine Kemp Dear Valerie,
My heart aches for you. Ralf was a special person, and we will miss him at family gatherings.
Hugs for healing,
Lorraine
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Merilyn Litster My most sincere condolences, to Val and Alexander. I always enjoyed talking with Rolf and admired his positive attitude.
May you paint your masterpiece now Rolf.
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Dirk Mendel So sorry to the Hasenfuss family for your loss! Ralf was an amazing guy, and Suzanne and I will sure miss the phone chats we had over the years. Your paintings hang on our wall. We will miss you!
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Yvonne Mendel We really loved Ralph. We met him through the painting crew in 2003: Danny, Mike, Steve and Russ. In 2006 he came to our wedding in Tofino.
It was always fun to see him downtown in unexpected places. He was a wonderful, fun guy.
I was so sad to hear that Ralph had passed away. Seeing him throughout the years brought me nothing but joy and laughter. How lucky we were to have known him, even just a little bit….