Larry Milton Bergholz

Larry was born on November 5, 1946, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, to Solveig (Sylvia) and Georg Bergholz. His Father, Georg Ernst Bergholz immigrated to Canada from Germany, and his Mother, Sylvia Karoline Bergholz (née Gordon) was born in Minnesota to Norwegian parents. They settled on a homestead farm just outside of Swift Current. Larry was very proud to say he was born on a farm and always thought fondly of his early years. At 9 years of age the family moved out west to escape the tough winters.

Larry graduated from Charles Tupper High School in Vancouver and after enrolled in Engineering at BCIT. This led to his career as a Mechanical Draftsman with several engineering firms including CanOcean, Fluor Daniel and AMEC. He remained close to many of his schoolmates and colleagues, always eager to stay connected and was involved in organizing annual high school and BCIT reunions over the years.

Larry has two children, Petra and Peter. In 1995, he married Donna Lee Bergholz (née Reid), the love of his life. The family expanded with two more daughters, Christy and Suzanne. His family again grew later thanks to the addition of his daughter-in-law Adrienne, son-in-law’s Roy and Hans, and his eight grandchildren.

Larry and Donna are affectionately called ‘Papa and Nana’ by grandchildren Jacob, Luke, Rebecca, Emmet, Maeve, Alexandra, Emily and Jocelyne. Larry and Donna have been actively involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren, showering them with love and support, including family trips, hosting dinners and always cheering from sporting event sidelines.

Larry was a devoted father and grandfather. He loved watching his grandkids do the things they love, always enjoyed a dad joke, and loved a sip of scotch.

He immersed himself in his family’s history and heritage and as a young adult he learned to speak German. At Christmas celebrations in honour of his mother, he would often replay a Norwegian prayer that she used to say for all to enjoy.

He enjoyed fixing anything he could get his hands on. A perfect day for him would be tinkering on his volkswagen car and catching a fish in the ocean with his loved ones. Larry was a ‘salt of the earth man’. He always stood up for doing the right thing and was never afraid to let others know that.

Larry is survived by his wife Donna, children, grandchildren, and sister Gloria and husband Neil. Larry is preceded in death by his mother Solveig (Sylvia), father Georg, and brother Christian. He will be dearly missed in our lives.

We appreciate the outpouring of love, kindness and support for the whole family.