Henry Lyonard Bednarz

He is survived by his mother, Lydia Bednarz of Ontario; his brother, Edward Bednarz and his, sister Kathy Bednarz Kelly, also of Ontario. He leaves five children whom he loved very much: Melanie Bednarz of Cambridge, Ontario; Beverley Bednarz Brown of Vancouver; Dennis Bednarz, Allison M., both of Edmonton and his adopted niece, Taryn Torbett of Knoxville, Tennessee USA. Henry maintained a close relationship with his former wife, Terry Madison Bednarz, of Tennessee. He will also be missed by many other loving friends and family members.

If you had the pleasure of knowing Henry, you were blessed. His kindness and generosity were abundant. If anyone needed help, he would be the first to volunteer. He didn’t think of anyone as a stranger and was always wholly himself- no matter the situation. He had the beautiful quality of seeing everyone as equal.

Henry was a renaissance man. He proudly graduated with honors from York University in Toronto with a degree in psychology. He was very passionate about music - attending concerts of many newcomers who eventually became household names around the globe. He could excitedly talk about details of every concert, including ticket prices, even decades later. His love of music also led him to own a used record store for a while after he moved to Edmonton.

He loved books, especially non-fiction about harrowing adventures, brave treks into the wilderness, and people who conquered the odds. He was excited to learn about space, the ocean, global politics, and

history. He dreamed of hiking solo to the North Pole, blasting off into space, or sailing around the world.

He was a contest-winning bodybuilder who later became an ultramarathon trail runner who regularly traveled to compete in 50 and 100k races. He was so enthusiastic about these runs, often inspiring

people much younger than him. He was very devoted to healthy eating and a plant-based diet.

Henry dearly loved his family and friends. He wanted the best for everyone - always. He was so proud of all five of his children, rooting for them to follow their dreams and passions. They each blessed his life in so many ways.

Henry was a man of faith in God and believed in the message of Grace. He knew his body would be whole again after death but he was optimistic until the last day that a cure would be found for ALS and he would be able to stay on this Earth longer.

A memorial service will be held for Henry at Hainstock's Funeral Home, 9810 34 Avenue NW, Edmonton AB on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 3:00 PM. To view the service via livestream, please use the following link: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1665450258212704

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the ALS Society of Alberta, 7874 10 Street NE

Calgary, AB T2E 8W1.