Gil is survived by his wife Vi, three daughters and son-in-laws; Roxanne (Grant) Rhind, Maxine (Wayne) May, Candace (Ken) Lochhead, and eight grandchildren; Colten (Jessy) May, Brody (Jenell) May, Connor Wotton, Laressa May, Amaris Lochhead, and Ivan Lochhead.
Gil was born on April 4, 1941, in Wingard, Saskatchewan, to Jacob and Anna Giesbrecht, and was the 4th of 6 children. He lived his first 11 years in Wingard, and then the family moved to Cater, Saskatchewan for better farming opportunities.
Gil was quite motivated to move away from the farm, and at the age of 19, he arrived in Saskatoon to join the workforce. While there were lots of ups and downs, he was determined to keep going forward, and not go backwards to the farm.
While attending a friend’s wedding in the summer of 1962, he met the love of his life Viola Buhlin. They were married on November 9, 1963, and started a family right away. It was during this time that Gil became a welder, and they moved from Lethbridge to Calgary, Alberta, where they have resided since.
Gil had a strong faith in God and while life has its struggles, he always leaned on Jesus, his Saviour. He was always disciplined in having quiet times with God every day, and Bible reading and prayer with the family every day as well. He built his family on firm Biblical foundations that still stand to this day. His legacy is greatly valued and the impact he had on his family and the people around him is immeasurable.
Gil was the ultimate “family man” because his family was so important to him. He frequently took his family on trips and was always leading his family to do things together. Activities like bike riding, camping, hiking and singing. His love for music and technology was a large part of his life as well. He saw talent in his family and taught them to share their gifts by recording and blessing people with the tapes he made. He also led his family to sing in Churches and nursing homes. In retirement, he had a lot more time to enjoy woodworking and would make beautiful pieces that he shared with others.
Gil will be greatly missed, but we rejoice that he is in the presence of Jesus, and those who are in Christ will see him again in eternity.
A Celebration of Life will be held at First Evangelical Free Church, 732 55 Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, on July 13, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
Messages of remembrance may be left for the family at www.southcalgaryfuneralcentre.ca
SOUTH CALGARY FUNERAL CENTRE
SHARE OBITUARYSHARE
v.1.13.0