Obituary for Bruno ‘The Cat’ Sagmeister
1938 – 2021

During the early morning hours of October 7th, Bruno poetically took his last breath during one of his most favourite songs, Amazing Grace by Elvis Presley. He spent his 83 years making the world a safer and more funny place.

Bruno loved chocolate; most especially chocolate ice cream and chocolate pudding. The day before he passed away, he experienced but an early Heaven. He enjoyed being spoon fed chocolate pudding as his lunch and chocolate ice cream (complete with ‘the delicious soft edges’) was his final meal.

Bruno’s last name, Sagmeister, translates from its German Origins to ‘Master of Story’. His daughter liked to faithfully remind him that his initials were BS. This would illicit his trademark head back, chest out, mouth wide open deep, hearty belly laugh.
This laugh is how many will remember him.

In keeping with the significance of story, instead of a more traditional obituary, below you’ll find reflective chapters of Bruno’s life.
You’re invited to grab a coffee, curl up in a comfy spot and let us tell you a ‘tail’ of a life well lived.
______________________________________

THE BOOK OF BRUNO THE CAT
______________________________________

CHAPTER ONE – NINE LIVES

Bruno was born in Bruckmühl, Bavaria, Germany on April 11th, 1938. He liked to call this ‘the greatest day known to man’ and would dependably mark it on the calendar that hung on the wall of the kitchen.

Although you might have to strain to imagine a little baby called Bruno, he ultimately grew into the very meaning of his name; ‘armour & protection’. This name suited him in more ways than one; not only because of his career as a first responder, security details and the like but also because of his disarming sense of humour.

Bruno loved to recount the stories that shaped him during the war back home in Germany; like how they didn’t have food but gracefully “there was a black American soldier that would give me food” including providing him with his first chocolate bars. (We lovingly refer to this man as his ‘first dealer’)

Or the time, again as a small child, he boldly threw a large mud pie at an open military Jeep, somehow managing to hit a high ranking officer. The Jeep came to a halt and the officer threatened to shoot him until another soldier stepped in, reasoning that he was just a child.

Then there was the time he and a friend were playing with an undetonated explosive that did ultimately go off, leaving Bruno with scars that stayed as a reminder for his lifetime.

Bruno was the youngest of three children and often referred to himself as the ‘Black Sheep’. He was 6 years old when, after the war, a soldier walked unceremoniously across the grass and someone told him that was his father.

Times were tough in war torn Germany. There was genocide, starvation, disease, danger and an abundance of fear but it was here we can only speculate that his naturally resilient spirit was reshaped into an even stronger version that would ultimately carry him through a lifetime of near misses and earn him the nickname ‘The Cat’.

____________________________________

CHAPTER TWO – HOOKED ON A FELINE

AT the age of 18, and unable to speak a word of English, Bruno boarded a ship in Bremerhaven, Germany for an 11 day Trans Atlantic Voyage aboard the Seven Seas and landed, after a rough sailing, in Quebec City, QB.

When he got off the ship and stepped foot on Canadian soil, he took the last dime he had and, like any rational person would do, he hopped on a scale on the dock to see how much weight he had lost during the voyage.

If you asked Bruno why he left Germany he would state simply “Freedom”.

In his old country, Bruno was a baker by trade even though he only had a Grade 8 school education. And so, after landing in Quebec, he took a train to Calgary where he was employed at a Danish Bakery.
His older brother Englebert Sagmeister had come over a few years prior but had developed rheumatic fever and died in Calgary in 1954. He was just 23 years old.

Shortly after arriving in Calgary himself, Bruno made the newspaper for the first of many times when he was beaten with glass bottles and robbed on the southeast area near where he lived.
The thief’s stole his last $14.

Bruno liked to recall how much times had changed as he remembered how it used to cost him an entire paycheque to call his mom back home in Germany. Another favourite story of those who knew him well also was a reflection on how much had changed since his move to Canada and his career choices.

In 1956, Bruno purchased his first car, a new Buick Special that he loved to drive fast, so much so that the police finally had to lay down spike belts along the highway from Calgary to Banff to catch him.
He never forgot that day or what the police officer said to him when they finally did catch him. Although Bruno channeled his love of speed into a beneficial place, as a first responder, we know that this day was pivotal and transformative to him. Bruno’s life as a highly safety conscious, law abiding / enforcing citizen changed dramatically from that day on and he brought the knowledge of the influence that officer had with him.

Bruno continued to work in Calgary, then his explorers heart had him moved to Whitehorse YT, Watson Lake YT, Vancouver BC and then fatefully to the remote coastal town of Ocean Falls, BC – ‘Land of the Rain People’.

It was here in 1958 at the local post office that he met his ‘Lovey Dovey’, Lorraine. She asked him for a light for her cigarette and from there the two were inseparable.

When asked what caught his eye about her first, he stated with a boyish grin “She was chubby.”

The long and lean German import was officially hooked on the curvy west coast girl.

____________________________________

CHAPTER THREE – THE CAT IS OUTTA THE BAG

On September 5, 1961, Bruno & Lorraine were married in Vancouver, BC. Returning back to Ocean Falls, Bruno worked at the restaurant that prepared meals for the workers at the towns mill while dreaming of fulfilling his childhood quest of becoming a police officer.

Within two years, Bruno & Lorraine had welcomed two boys, Michael & Curtis and their family had begun.

In 1965, Bruno was offered a position with an ambulance company in Edmonton, AB. He was excited at the potential he seen to be a first responder and make a difference. With this, the family packed up and made the move to the prairies.

After the move to Edmonton, Bruno was trained in all things ambulance and quickly became known for his driving and life savings skills. When the station had a request for the best and fastest to be sent to a scene, it was Bruno that was called.

Bruno’s proficiency was clear and he became an ambulance instructor, training other drivers and attendants including nurses, in the life saving measures needed during patient transport.
He travelled to different locations in Alberta as an instructor and was documented by multiple newspapers doing so.

Even with the stress of the type of work he was involved in, Bruno’s sense of humour was still clearly intact. One time, he and his partner were tasked with transporting a body from the morgue at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton. Upon searching, they realized there had been a mistake and there was no one to be moved. Knowing from the lights on in the rooms that the student nurses had been watching their arrival and goings on, Bruno decided they couldn’t take an empty stretcher back to the ambulance. So he himself got into the body bag atop the stretcher and as his partner wheeled him out the doors, Bruno sat bolt upright, arms waving wildly in the air, making sounds like a ghost. He laughed so hard recounting this prank and how all the lights in the nurses rooms quickly turned off when he sat up.

In 1966, Bruno & Lorraine welcomed their third child, another boy they named Robert.

In 1968, Bruno, a nurse and another responder made a ‘Mercy Trip’ to Salt Lake City, UT for a young girl and again, the story was covered by media. It was becoming clear that Bruno had a way of making headlines.

On Fathers Day in 1972, Bruno & Lorraine welcomed their fourth and final child, a girl (finally) named Suzanne (Suzie).

Also in the winter of 1972, while his wife was in the hospital for surgery, Bruno was the sole survivor of a tragic incident involving the ambulance he was driving and a man believed to be suicidal. This wreckage was ultimately the birthplace for the Nationwide project and book, Life After Dark, 100 Stories of Hope From Survivors of Suicide.

____________________________________

CHAPTER FOUR – BETTER CALL CLAW-ENFORCEMENT

In 1973, following the ambulance tragedy, Bruno was inspired to make his dream of being a police officer a reality.

His first posting was to Enoch Cree Nation as a department of the Stony Plain, AB RCMP Detachment.

The entire family moved to Enoch and was welcomed by the residents. Bruno’s ease, humour and integrity quickly earned him support from almost everyone and again, he made headlines across the country for his ‘non-typical beat’.

Bruno took his work seriously and ascended the ranks, becoming Staff Sargent & K-9 handler.
Another story he belly laughed at while recounting was the time he and his potential police dog Baron were in training and there was an incident that was almost a career ender for him.
Envision all the eager dogs and their handlers in a circle surrounding the instructor, a high ranking RCMP K9 police officer. The instructor explained that he was about to shoot his pistol into the air and those dogs that hid behind their handler, tried to run away or otherwise showed fear would automatically be disqualified from further training.
With this, the instructor prepared his pistol, held it in the air and let off one shot.
Some dogs, barked and focused at the instructor, others tried to get away, but Baron, Bruno’s dog, charged directly at the instructor.
At 130lbs, Baron was a very large German Shepard and because Bruno was laughing so hard, he couldn’t hold his dog back. Baron lunged across the field, with Bruno laughing wildly in tow until he fell and was dragged the remainder of the way towards the instructor who was yelling furiously at Bruno to get his dog under control. This only made Bruno laugh harder and when Baron made it to the ‘gun toting bad guy’ he instinctually latched on, biting deep.
Bruno and Baron were almost ousted from the K-9 unit that day but as luck would have it, the commanding officer was fond of them both and they were allowed to stay (with a stern warning).

Bruno, Baron and family made fast friends at Enoch and were often invited to Pow-wows, taught to dance and make bannock, given handmade beautifully beaded moccasins and so much more. Also because of living in a smaller community, The Sagmeister house became the ‘Police House’, and there were knocks on the door for help at all hours, to which Bruno readily responded.

On one occasion, in 2018, when his daughter took him on a pilgrimage through his special places in Alberta, they stopped back in Enoch to reminisce. Looking for, but unable to locate their old house, they stopped by the band administration office. In the parking lot was a tall man in his early 50’s. His daughter pulled up and rolled down the window to ask him if he remembered where it might be. “Excuse me sir, we are looking for our old house, we used to live here back in the 70’s when my dad was a police officer.”

“What’s the last name?” He stated, unimpressed.

“Sagmeister” she replied.

Automatically the tall man stooped over and looked through the window over to the passenger side. With a big grin on his face and a lightness in his voice he exclaimed “Bruno?!”

This story about a man who was, but a young boy when he encountered Bruno over 4 decades earlier is a sample of the kind of impact Bruno had where ever he went.

Bruno’s police career later took him and his family to St. Paul, AB where it co-mingled with an ambulance position and then off to High Level, AB for a start up launch position with Alberta Hiway Patrol.

During his time as a first responder, seeing so much tragedy, death and having multiple close calls himself (once again, reaffirming his nickname ‘The Cat’) Bruno found solace in simple pleasures that ultimately made life more sweet. He often literally, stopped to smell the roses on his walks, savoured a good cup of coffee, melted over the soft edges of chocolate ice cream, read inspirational quotes and stories, took long drives and enjoyed the company of his companion animals.

This natural, innate love of simple things carried through to his final moment and is another one of Bruno’s lasting legacies.

____________________________________

CHAPTER FIVE – HOME IS WHERE THE CAT IS

After departing High Level, the family returned to Edmonton where Bruno took a position which had him securely transporting visiting government dignitaries, celebrities and others who required ‘high level security’.
Bruno safely escorted the likes of Wayne & Walter Gretzky, Space Shuttle Columbia Astronauts, the Princess of Monaco, the Pointer Sisters and many, many more. He was so well liked that he was often invited to meals or given gifts to which he stored safely in a photo album that he continued to revisit and share stories about until he could no longer turn the pages. It was then, that those who loved him most helped.

Bruno was then recruited by the Government as an Inspector for the Alberta Liquor Control Board. Originally stationed in St. Albert, AB this position is what transferred him to Grande Prairie in 1983, a place he and Lorraine finally called Home.

While in the small Northern city, Bruno belonged to multiple community organizations. Because he still had a very thick German accent that he was conscious of, he joined Toastmasters to learn how to better speak publicly. One of his greatest achievements he liked to share was that he was a boy who knew not a word of English when he came to Canada but ended up becoming the President of his Toastmasters Club.

His and the families love of animals drew them to help initiate the GPSPCA, in which he later was President of.

He helped lead The Leo Club, a Lions Club International youth group that helped young people develop leaderships skills by participating in social service activities.

His love of weather and safety prompted him to become an official weather watcher for Environment Canada.

Bruno belonged to the GP Parks & Recreation Board that was responsible for the initiation and construction of the Bear Creek Trails. He was well known on those trails, walking his dogs daily for over 30 years on them, always with a friendly smile and wave to passing walkers. There is even an area we affectionately call ‘Bruno’s Point’ which was his favourite spot to stop with his dogs.

He was elected to and maintained a long tenure on the Board of Directors for the Southwood Place Condominiums where he and his wife resided.

Bruno was a strong force at making the Grande Prairie chapter of COPS (Citizens On Patrol) a reality offering his experience to a group of volunteers that helped keep their communities safe.

Never one to have a lot of money, he proved that a persons contributions can reach deeper than the wallet and that you don’t have to be a millionaire to positively impact your community.

Also naturally, Bruno took his work seriously with the ALCB and quickly rose to Senior Inspector. He made an impact with the licensees throughout his territory of Northern Alberta and he was known as strict but fair.

He was on the road a great deal during this time and after multiple years of safely avoiding a highway incident, he ended up having 3 collisions with wildlife within a very short span of time.
He took this as a sign and after this, he ‘retired’.

____________________________________

CHAPTER SIX – BRUNO 2.0, THE CAT CAME BACK

As it turned out, retirement wasn’t for him and Bruno dabbled in a few other things until he joined the security team at Weyerhaeuser.
He was (not surprisingly) well loved there and because of his experience as a police officer there was a position created for him that fulfilled a need and Weyerhaeuser Forestlands Patrol was initiated.

This job combined multiple loves for him; long drives, police work, wildlife and people. Some people disliked him because he had no problem writing tickets for dangerous driving others commended him, stating how they finally felt safe going to work, knowing they would return home to their families, because he ‘cleaned up’ the roads.

In the year 2000, when he was 62 years old, Bruno had his first major stroke. Even after life saving surgery, the medical team wasn’t certain of his prognosis but that is clearly because they didn’t realize he was ‘The Cat.’

Bruno made a remarkable recovery, partly because of his great medical team, partly because of his sense of humour and even more so because of his extraordinary will to live.

Bruno had to learn to do everything all over again but ultimately, he returned to work, and could be found every morning, polishing his boots and ironing his uniforms like he had been for so many years.

____________________________________

CHAPTER SEVEN – HEART OF A LION

Ultimately Bruno did end up finally retiring and spent his time walking and cuddling his pets, harassing his wife and taking ‘self improvement courses’ even though his wife liked to remind him there was no helping him, to which he whole heartedly laughed at.

Bruno had an incredibly soft heart and gently spirit that aged well.

He loved to sing; in the shower (just ask his neighbours of 31 years that got a free concert every morning), coming down the stairs he sang ‘Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re so perfect like me.’, in the car, or basically anywhere he would sing in his deep baritone voice.
His favourite songs were Capri Fischer, On The Beaches Of Havana, Arrivaderci Roma or anything by Dean Martin, Elvis’s love songs, Mario Lanza, Vaya Con Dios by Jerry Vale, Una Paloma Blanca and more.

If he wasn’t singing, he was whistling… except he couldn’t whistle, it sounded more like a kazoo, but without the kazoo. It was quite pitiful actually, and no one except his bestie Shane had the heart to tell him he sucked at whistling.

Even though he came to Canada as a ‘baker by trade’, he hated baking. But he loved to eat others baking, especially ‘oooeeeey goooeeeey pastries’, from the local bakery; the more whipped cream the better.

He also coveted good German sausage with sauerkraut and mustard, and in 2013 on a return trip to Germany, he enjoyed his favourite dish he hadn’t experienced in 58 years, ‘Leberkasse’.
Bruno could always be found in the morning, making toast with peanut butter and sugar free jam and dipping it in his morning coffee, his dogs watching eagerly knowing they always received the last bite from each piece.

Bruno spent a lot of time reminiscing, he loved to share his stories like the ones above and he was a gifted storyteller.

His stories were sometimes long and detailed and at other times they were direct and to the point, like the one about seeing his first spider in Canada:
“It was a HUGE fucker.”

When his wife Lorraine retired, they whiled away their days playing Yahtzee, Aggravation and sarcastically hitting the Staples ‘That was Easy’ button perched on their kitchen table. They’d also take a ‘quick spin’ to go for lunch only to return 12 hours and hundreds of kilometres later.

In the mid 2010’s Bruno’s memory began to noticeably but still subtly, decline and this ultimately was the onset of vascular dementia.
His moods shifted somewhat as a result too but he still always found a reason to laugh out loud.

In February 2017, Bruno experienced some pain in his legs after one of his walks. Lorraine felt something was amiss and instructed (read forced) him to the hospital. It was discovered here that Bruno had incredible blockages in his arteries and would require emergency open heart surgery. From Grande Prairie he was flown to the Mazankowski Institute in Edmonton.

In the years previous to this crisis, Bruno’s daughter Suzanne had shared multiple stories about him on her social media accounts.

They were sometimes funny; like the time he came down the stairs of his home, all dressed up announcing “Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the sexiest man of Grande Prairie South”.
Or how the whispered words “chocolate ice cream” could wake him from a deep sleep.

Many times the posts were poignant and recollected his stories of his life as a first responder and his resilience.

Being naturally quirky and pure, Bruno garnered a loving and loyal social media following that tuned into his #brunospam – these comments gave him joy, purpose and brought him a sense of mattering. When he was read the comments he would often say humbly “Wow, just wow.”

On the morning of his scheduled surgery, Bruno and his daughter woke 2 hours early to read the comments of encouragement left on a post they had made the night before in which Bruno encouraged everyone, men especially, to take their heart health seriously.
He used the energy from these words to fill himself up with the love and support and went under sedation feeling strong. Before surgery, the mantra became
‘In like a cat, out with a heart of a lion.’

Regrettably, Bruno suffered another massive stroke during surgery and because of his advanced age it was unlikely that he would recover. This was followed by five more strokes over the next couple months and the situation looked dire.
However, once again, Bruno The Cat prevailed and at the age of 79, he learned to sit up, walk, talk, swallow, speak and tease the nurses all over again. He really did have the heart of a lion.

Bruno was even able to return home but from this point on there was a marked decline in his cognition and mobility but, never in his spirit. He still found joy in the sunshine on his face, being take for drives, the love of his pets and being a regular pain in the ass to his wife.

____________________________________

CHAPTER EIGHT – KITTY KITTY, BANG BANG

In the fall of 2018, his wifey of 57 years was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer and given a very short time to live. He didn’t quite understand the scope of her prognosis and what her death would mean.

On April 7, 2019 Bruno’s ‘Lovey Dovey’ passed away, leaving him confused in his deepening state of dementia. He was becoming more childlike and nothing spoke louder to that then when a couple hours after losing her he heartbreakingly whispered “I’m an orphan now.”

But just like he always had, Bruno still was able to find joy in his daily life. He had a youthful sense of humour and vibrant energy to him.

At the age of 81, he got his very first tattoo, three simple symbols from his life on his forearm; staff Sargent stripes, the paramedic star and a heart with the initials B+L.

With his decline, Bruno was no longer able to stay at home and required a long term care facility. This would be one of his biggest fears realized.
In order to get him to gently agree to leave behind his home, his cat and his sense of freedom, his daughter promised him if he moved, she would (with the help of many) make his lifelong dream of going to Hawaii a reality.

In August of 2019, Bruno moved into MacKenzie Place’s Continuing Care Facility (MP) and by the end of August, like was promised to him, he was on a plane to Maui. When he arrived and sat in his wheelchair in front of the ocean he whispered “I’m in paradise.”

Bruno spent 10 days living it up in Hawaii being catered to, pampered and adored by his daughter, his ‘adopted daughter’ Deanna and his grandson Lawson. His favourite part was finally getting to see his ‘Hula, Hula Girls’ in real life.

The transition into MP living was rocky and he took a noticeable step in his dementia journey. However, with the love, support and care from the remarkable team there, Bruno settled and even came to love being there. He always was SO grateful to the staff, stating how good they were to him and they were.

Bruno The Cat affectionately received many new nicknames during his 2 years at MP:
Bruno Mars, Monkey, My Main Man, Smiley, Joker, President Of Hawaii, Uncle Bruno, The King, Snuffalufagus (because of his lashes that were the envy of every lash enthusiast) and probably a ton of other pet names.

Music was always playing in his room and his walls were covered in photos and memories of his life. He loved being surrounded by them and taking trips down memory lane.

As his dementia altered his reality, his room became his office and the caregivers were his coworkers. There was even one that he referred to as his partner. Also in his new reality, his wife was still alive, and if he asked about her we always replied “She’s at the Farmers Market selling her toques.”
Gently meeting him where he was at helped him make sense of his changing world and enabled him to continue to find joy.

Bruno’s zest for life, gratefulness and laughter were embraced at MP and his use of a well placed F-bomb became legendary there too.

In his early years, one of his favourite ways to use it was when something went awry, like say when he was trying to sprinkle cayenne pepper on his egg and instead got it all over Shane’s newly cleaned truck. That’s when he would say in a sweet German accent “Fucky, Fucky, Fucky” or perhaps he was picking up dog poop and the bag ripped. Again, it was “Fucky, fucky, fucky”.

Alternatively, his use of the four letter word could be rhythmic. Take for instance the marching up the stairs in a rare state anger, each step consisted of its own “Fuck.” (FYI That was 13 fucks up and 13 fucks down.) This ‘temper tantrum’ was always met by laughter from his wife or daughter which in turn would have him laughing in no time.

As age softened him even more, and his voice turned to a whisper, he still was able to illicit laughter from those who experienced the way the cat littered his statements with the perfect bang from an F-bomb drop.

____________________________________

CHAPTER NINE – SAINT BRUNO THE CAT

In September of 2020, Bruno was joined by Sweetie Pie, a robotic companion cat that he grew to think, in his state of dementia, was real. Together, thanks to his social media following, they graced newspapers, documentaries and inspired others to consider robotic pets for their loved ones. There was even a ‘Bruno & Sweetie Pie Pet Program’ started by the hospital foundation that enabled others to benefit from robotic companions.

Sweetie Pie enriched Bruno’s life and there are many stories yet to be told of their time together which, although just a year long, could fill an entire book of its own.

In September of 2021, (interestingly perhaps around what would have been he and Lorraine’s 60th wedding anniversary) he mentioned to an LPN that it was “Time for me to go home now, my wife thinks I’m lost.”

On October 6th, it was what what was known back in Europe, ‘Saint Bruno’s Day’. Where Bruno grew up, birthdays were not celebrated as much as Namenstag (Names Day) was.

Namenstag originated with the calendar of Saint’s and if you were named after a Saint, your Names Day was that on which the Saint died.

With his signature sense of humour, he never let anyone forget it was Saint Bruno’s Day and he was to be celebrated (remember, in ancient times cats were worshipped as Gods)

At 0220hrs, October 7th, the day following his Names Day, while holding his daughters hand and with Sweetie Pie curled up by his neck, Bruno took his final breath.

Knowing Bruno, he probably planned it this way. Wanting to be adored longer, he poetically turned his Names Day into a two day celebration of life.
With October 6th continuing as Saint Bruno Day, and making October 7th now, Saint Bruno The Cat Day.

____________________________________

CHAPTER TEN – PAWS & REFLECT

When Bruno finally used up his nine lives, he left a lion size hole in many hearts.

Children: Michael, Curtis, Robert (Corrine), Suzanne (Shane) and just-like-a-daughter Deanna

Grandchildren: Michael (Ketrina), Jennifer, Justin (Isaree), Shaun (Jennifer), Amanda & Lawson (Lauren)

Also numerous great grandchildren.

Bruno had a few special friends in his life that made an incredible difference in his last few years Jodi, Heather & Cindy (Cinderella) (yes we notice how they’re all women)

Bruno is also survived by the family cat Lily who relocated to the beach with Suzanne & Shane after he moved to MacKenzie Place. (Lily does not know about his side cat Sweetie Pie, please keep that on the down-low).

Bruno was predeceased by his wife Lorraine, brother Engelbert, parents Engelbert & Martha, sister Martha, and son-in-law Larry.

____________________________________

CHAPTER ELEVEN – A CAT-ALOG OF GRATITUDE

Walking the path of aging parents is a gift and privilege but it also brings with it responsibility, needs and an incredible amount of emotion. Without the following people, the transitions would have been harder.

Dr. Pope – Bruno could not have been in any better hands. Dr. Popes integrity, compassion and guidance were a steady presence through all stages of his life over the last 38 years in his care.

Hearts full of gratitude for all the love, support and treasured moments from:

Jodi and the Winnicky-Lewis Family
Leanne, Rob and the Novosol Family
Heather, Craig and Kendra Stanley
Deanna Bill
Cindy Boyd-Bowdring
Victoria Kampela
Amber Dawn Hunter

And his special dog friends: Manfrid, Bruin & Biscuit – for the visits and warm kisses

Suzanne & Shane’s community at their home on Vancouver Island who helped make it possible to be away caring for Bruno countless times.

Doug and the team at Bear Creek Funeral Home & Crematorium Sanctuary

And last but far from least, eternal thank you to the care team at McKenzie Place – there is so much love for each of you who helped make Bruno’s last two years not only comfortable but joyful and memorable.

____________________________________

CHAPTER TWELVE – GOING DOWN IN HISS-TORY, THE ‘FINAL SALUTE’

Due to the Covid Pandemic, no public service will be held, instead we ask that you celebrate Bruno by taking a photo of yourself giving a salute and posting it on social media for Bruno’s end of watch and hashtag #brunosfinalsalute #brunospam

Bonus points if you include your name, your occupation and location in the description.

Giving a salute was a high form of respect and something that brought a tear to Bruno’s eyes.

Bruno was cremated along with his beloved Sweetie Pie, in a simple but fitting ceremony with his daughter present.

He wore a shirt from Hawaii with a ‘Hula Hula Girl’ on it, cozied up in a blanket that both he and his wife were covered with and the set up was made complete with a cup of chocolate pudding and Amazing Grace & Arrivaderci Roma playing in the background.

This was a perfect ending to a life well lived.

____________________________________

CHAPTER THIRTEEN – THE CAT LIVES ON

If one so chooses, memorial donations can be made to:

Bruno & Sweetie Pie Pet Program
at the QE2 Hospital Foundation

Enabling other dementia patients to have their lives enriched by robotic pets.

____________________________________

Land acknowledgement: We acknowledge that many of the colonial locations listed that Bruno and his family lived, worked and played on are on Unceded First Nations Territory

Care entrusted to Bear Creek Funeral Home 780 830 7742 bearcrekfuneral.com

• Date : 2021-10-13
• Location : Grande Prairie, AB

1. Add to favourites