Albert Flaig

The Lord called Albert home in a peaceful manner on August 4, 2021, at the age of 92 years. He was strong until the very end. For the past year and a half, Albert had been battling his failing health with quiet dignity and courage. He was a very courageous man; bravery was the virtue that defined him.

Albert is sadly missed by his loving daughter, Tamara; son-in-law, James; cherished grandson, Christopher; brothers, Johannes, Hugo, and Egon; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Albert was born in Alexandrovka Besserabien on March 7, 1929, second son of Johannes Flaig and Christine Weiβ; the second of 7 brothers. He is survived by his brothers, Johannes, Hugo and Egon and was predeceased by his brothers Theofil, Richard and Rudolf. He continually loved and missed his brother’s deeply and spoke of them always. He was so very proud of them all.

During WWII, under difficult circumstances, his family emigrated from Bessserabien in 1939 escaping to Ortenburg, Bayern; and in 1940, relocated near Posen, Poland. In 1945 his family immigrated to Brandenburg, Germany, journeyed further to Kornwestheim, and finally settled in Gronau in 1946.

Albert loved living in Gronau. Excluding the death of his mother in 1947, his life’s greatest tragedy, Albert only had affectionate memories of his family, his friends, and his adventures in Gronau. As a young man, he took great delight in athletic activities, and he was very honored to be a member of several sporting clubs in the Gronau area. He enjoyed the friendships he forged with his fellow sportsmen. His sports of choice were track and field, hand ball and of course, soccer. As all Flaig family members know, you must love soccer - it’s a requirement!

He was always busy - a man in constant motion. His career path led him to the commercial vocational school in Heilbronn located near Gronau. With a large smile on his face, he would recall his friend Walter and their numerous train rides together to and fro between school and home. He described Walter as a wonderful friend. To the very end, Walter’s phone messages were recorded on his answering machine. After numerous train rides to Heilbronn and dedication to his coursework, he completed his instruction and apprenticeship in both wood turning and cabinet making in 1949.

Albert continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions. The possibilities he saw were always bright and hopeful. He was always an optimistic man. He applied for a working visa to Canada and the visa was granted on April 7, 1954. The now legendary photograph of his brothers and father with his youngest brother, Egon, sitting on his suitcase illustrates his departure day well. He boarded the T.S. Arosa Star which ported in Quebec on May 28, 1954. Now a landed immigrant in Canada, he settled in Medicine Hat for a short period, then established himself in Calgary, Alberta, his forever after residence.

And so, the endeavor began - wood was sawn, cabinets were crafted, wood was turned, new buildings were built, and old buildings were repaired. And the beat went on and on…. His hard work prospered into a successful enterprise, which he was very proud of, and rightfully so. Albert always said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This statement was absolute to Albert. He loved being a carpenter. His spirit appeared free and at peace when he had a tool in his hand. His favorite accessory was his tool belt.

Wanderlust ran in his blood and lead him to many parts of the world. He travelled to Europe several times, returning home to his cherished family. These family reunions involved family travels to numerous European countries and destinations, joyful family celebrations, and of course soccer games. On his most adventurous journey, Albert and his friend Bernie drove, via Albert’s Westfalia (his most favorite ride ever), from Calgary through the USA, Mexico, and through all the Central American Countries, over the Panama Canal to where the road ended near the border of Columbia- unfortunately they didn’t make it to their original destination of Argentina. He also travelled to many other destinations throughout North America and Mexico and succeeded to venture to his personal holy grail of travel, Argentina- finally via airplane.

Albert was the most diligent and hardworking man I have ever met. However, he always managed to find time to be a fun friend or fun opponent. Alberta was a skier, a hiker, a worthy chess opponent, badminton player, ping pong player, dancer, toastmaster, movie screening partner, spirited skat player, coffee klatch companion, and personal cheerleader at his grandson’s soccer games… the list is endless. His life was well lived, and he was well loved!

Farewell, Albert. You will live in our hearts forever. Thank you for everything you did for us!