Frank Edward Fixter

Frank is survived by his loving wife Shirley (nee Knechtel) of 73 years, by his daughter Paulette, son Paul (Leslie) and son Ronald. He was predeceased by his beloved son Greg (1975). Frank was the loving Grandfather of Matthew, Danielle, Dillon, Kelsey and Aiden. Frank was a beloved Uncle to many and will be missed dearly by nieces Jennifer (Jim) and Shirley (Dan). He leaves behind his brother Doug (Gloria) and sisters’ Joanne and Janice. At Frank’s age, as you can only imagine, he was predeceased by many friends and family whom he loved and loved him.

Frank and Shirley met at a hockey game in 1950 when Frank accidentally burned Shirley’s new fur coat with his cigar and despite that, they were married the following year. They started their life living next door to Shirley’s family’s home and moved to their forever family home 4 years later. They worked together to build a solid family foundation for their four kids and eventually grandkids. The home was always filled with love, home cooking and a sporting event on the tv.

Frank was a long time Blue Jays fan and a lifelong suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan and could often be heard yelling at the “my tv is bigger than your tv” for the Coach to pull the goalie. Sports was a big part of his life and he was an avid Kitchener Rangers watcher and listener. He was an exceptional athlete back in the day and passed the love of sport and healthy competition on to his children.

He was a proud father, who volunteered to flood and groom the local outdoor rink at Lakeside Park so the neighbours, along with his kids had a fun and safe place to skate. It was never a question, Frank always put family first. Hauling hockey bags to the rink, sitting through piano lessons and always cheering on from the sidelines. His kids knew they were always supported.

Frank worked at Lang Tannery for 43 years until his retirement at age 59. In retirement he enjoyed travelling to many exotic destinations with Shirley and friends with wonderful memories shared of RV journeys with his late best friend Donny and Donny’s wife Delina.

Frank spoke of his childhood dog Blackie who pulled him out of Lake Ontario when he was a young lad and saved his life. As confusion set in during his later years, he never forgot Blackie.

There are many hours in the day, but Frank’s favourite hour was happy hour. Whether it was on the front porch of the family home on Vista Crescent, which he shared with Shirley for 69 years or in the living room in his favourite chair. It didn’t matter where it was, it mattered who was with him. A good rum, a glass of his homemade red wine or a cold beer on a summer day in the backyard made Frank happy. He had the uncanny ability to make everyone in his presence feel that they were the most special person in room. His was a favourite of all of the neighbours in the hood. Frank made lifelong friends and had a special bond with his daughter in law Leslie.

In later years, Frank could often be found as an armchair foreman watching over a variety of projects with a beer in his hand whether it was directing the deck build, the shed build or a simple task of cutting the grass, he loved to be part of it.

The Family would like to thank the incredible staff at Highland Retirement Residence, who endeared Frank by calling him “Poppa”. We are grateful for the care he received and the kindness that was shown to him.

Visitation will be held on Monday, January 6th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at Westmount Memorial Celebration Centre, 1001 Ottawa St. S. followed by a funeral service at 1:00 pm. A private family interment will be held at Woodland Cemetery the following day.

Frank’s family would like to extend an invite to family and friends to join them at Westmount Golf and Country Club (50 Inverness Drive) from 2:00 – 4:00 pm for light snacks and to toast Frank.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Heart and Stroke Foundation in honour of Frank’s well lived life would be greatly appreciated.