Holger Lorenzen

Holger is survived by his sister, Sigrid Matheson, and his two daughters, Lorraine Lorenzen and Tina Stewart. He was a proud Morfar (grandfather) to Beck and Jeda Hoglin, Colin Girard, Michael & Christie Shakespeare, and a great-grandfather to Matthew, Lilith & Azrael. He leaves behind a large, loving family who meant the world to him. He has been reunited with his beautiful wife, Clarice Lorenzen, along with his brothers, Lorenz Lorenzen and Martin Lorenzen, and many other missed family members who went before him.

Born on February 9, 1939, in Ribe, Denmark, Holger was raised in a large loving, blended family of 14. He first trained as a blacksmith before immigrating to Canada finding his way to Port Alberni, in 1962, following his sister Sigrid and brother-in-law Egon. Within days of his arrival, Holger began working at Port Machine Works, where he quickly became a welder and machinist then eventually became a co-owner with Egon in 1976, and had a successful partnership and business that spanned 29 years. In 1967, Holger met his beautiful wife, Clarice, on a blind date. They married a year later and built a wonderful life and family together. Holger was an active and committed member of the Alberni Valley community. For many years, he volunteered with the Kiwanis Club, serving as one of the key leaders for the annual Salmon Festival. If there was a charity or sporting event, you could usually find Holger serving with that big, memorable smile from the Kiwanis food truck. Following his retirement, Holger and Clarice enjoyed traveling around the globe before eventually settling on spending their winters soaking up the sun and sharing laughs with friends and family in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Known for his tireless work ethic and his role as an incredible mentor, Holger was a loyal friend and father figure to so many. More than anything else, his infectious smile was his trademark, which could light up any room.

We want to send our heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated and kind staff at Island Health Community Services (nursing and home care) for the wonderful care and comfort they gave Holger in his final days. We are forever grateful.

A Celebration of Holger's Life will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM at the Italian Hall, 4065 6th Ave, Port Alberni.

In lieu of flowers, donations are gratefully accepted in Holger's memory to the Canadian Cancer Society at www.cancer.ca/donate.