Lou Albinati, 91, peacefully passed into eternal life on the morning of October 27, 2019 at home in Victoria, BC.
Lou’s life was defined by faith, hope, and charity – virtues that he demonstrated, alongside the characteristic twinkle in his eye, until his final moments.
As he often recounted, Lou was born at the far end of the field near Bezanson, AB, at which point he carried his mother back to the house post-labour. This was not hard to believe, given his strength, energy, and force of will. At age 13, Lou assumed the reins of the family’s threshing operation, managing a crew of men during the harvest season while his father (Oscar) was away working on the construction of the Alaska highway. During high school, he moved to Grande Prairie where he apprenticed as a body man, and after completing his trade, opened Lou’s Auto Body in 1953. His enterprising spirit blossomed in various endeavours including a gas station, a Jeep dealership, chainsaw distributorship, and eventually property management and real-estate development. As his brother once said: “Lou would get more done after dinner than most people would do all day.”
A lifelong Rotarian, the motto “service above self” was a guiding tenet of Lou’s life. He was proud to be active in the community; he served as a trustee of the Grande Prairie Catholic School Board, sat on the St. Joseph’s Parish Council, was a member of the Knights of Columbus and contributed his energy to countless initiatives throughout his life.
Lou had a great love for the outdoors and the bounty that the land provides. Harvesting, hunting, foraging, and fishing consumed his hobbies. Even into his final months, he was interested in the state of this year’s salmon runs and relished the blackberries he picked along the train tracks close to his home. Passionate for travel, Lou and his wife Josephine, enjoyed vacations in Hawaii, RV-ing to Mexico and spending the winters in Arizona.
Although diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma 9 years ago, Lou enjoyed a great quality of life right to the end, no doubt due to his optimism and his love of life. He especially enjoyed retiring to Victoria three and a half years ago.
His family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers that provided exceptional care over the term of his illness.
Lou is survived by his wife Josephine (54 years), and children Beverly (Jim), Evan (Debbie), Marcene (Yves), Arlie (Bob), Natalie (Darrel), Chris (Jacqueline), and Stephen (Kate), as well as several nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his parents Oscar and Lidwine, first wife Anne, sons Daryl and Ronald, granddaughter Nicole, and great-granddaughter Harper.
A short prayer service will be held at McCall Gardens Sequoia Centre, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Andrew’s Catholic Cathedral, 740 View Street, Victoria, BC on Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 10:30 am with interment to follow at Royal Oak Burial Park. An afternoon reception will immediately follow in McCall Gardens Sequoia Centre for family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent De Paul Society of Victoria in his memory.
Condolences to the family may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
27 Responses
Uncle Lou was such a strong, proud man. The last time I saw him he was crawling around under his SUV installing a trailer hitch. I recall thinking how remarkable it was for an 88-year-old man to even be able to lift a trailer hitch, let alone install it all by himself. He was an inspiration.
Dear Marcene and family. With deepest sympathy in the loss of your dear Dad.May he rest in peace. I have many fond memories of him and your family in Grande Prairie.
Blessings and love, Kathleen
Dear Jo and family ; we are so sorry to hear about Lou passing away ; Lou was a great Rotarian and a wonderful man ; it is such an honor for us to have met him and spend many hours together talking about Rotary and family . Thinking of you and keeping you in our prayers . Hugs from all of us ✨
Pepe y Lorena Sanchez
My condolences to the Albinati family. Thinking of you all.
Chris & Family,
Condolences to you and your family on the passing of your father
From the obituary it appears you will have lots of cherished memories
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all as you lay your father to rest
Rob & Brenda
Lou was a memorable and inspiring man in Grande prairie, he left a legacy to the business world as he was so successful in all his endeavours,a very charming man with a great attitude for life,my condolences to his family and friends he will be missed.
Donna and I extend our deepest sympathy to all of Lou’s family. The satisfaction of a life well lived may not dull the pain of loss, but may it bring a smile to you in the future as you carry on with your own lives. I knew Lou only a short time as a neighbour and coffee shop companion, but his ready smile, gentle manner and a trove of life stories served as his passport to any gathering.
I first met Lou Albinati about 29 years ago when he came into our jewelry store to purchase a surprise gift for his wife. He wanted to know all about the piece he selected and the artist who had designed it. He particularly liked the name of the piece, “Infinately Yours.” He was one of the most thorough shoppers I’d met and even wanted to be sure it was specially wrapped for this special occasion. Attention to detail, and an obvious love for his family. We became friends over the years and we even got to watch young Stephen grow through the years when they would visit Kona. My husband Jim enjoyed having Lou at the Kona Rotary luncheons. We, very much, enjoyed being with such a loving couple, and sharing life stories and current events. We know how fortunate we were to have had them in our lives. To Lou’s family, we share your sorrow, and will include all of you in our prayers. To Jo, there is a warm hug for you in this message. To Lou, Aloha nui loa, we will miss you.
Chris and Family,
My sincere condolences to you and your family on the passing of your father.
God bless and comfort you all.
Remembering good visits in Mexico – saying goodbye is always hard but hold good memories close to your heart. ❤️ Ambi & Jennifer Wrzosek