Wilbert Gerald Printz Obituary
Wilbert Gerald Printz (Wil), of Calgary, AB, passed away on Friday, October 8, 2021, at the age of 93 years.
Wil was born in Melville, Saskatchewan on December 2, 1927, and grew up in Yorkton, Saskatchewan with his 2 sisters and 3 brothers. After playing junior hockey for the Moosejaw Canucks and the Regina Pats, Wil interviewed for a job at the Bank of Toronto (now TD Bank) wearing his brother's borrowed jacket and a wide lapel shirt. Despite his attire, he landed the job and was transferred to Calgary to start a successful career with the Toronto Dominion Bank, which spanned almost 40 years. It was said that the day he arrived at the TD Bank at Stephen Ave Mall in Calgary, he put his suitcase under the counter and started working. He still played a high level of hockey in those early years out of the Calgary Corral as a player/coach of the Hillhurst Hustlers who were the Big Six Champs in 1954/55. Wil was transferred to Edmonton in 1955 where he met Violet Breadon (Vi), an attractive young teller at the Bank of Montreal who caught his attention. Their first date, coincidently, was on October 8, 1956 and they were married in Edmonton on August 2, 1958. They moved to Calgary shortly thereafter where Wil became a special representative for TD's oil and gas business involving much travel to the United States. Wil and Vi made Calgary their home where they raised four boys. Wil also worked as Manager of a number of TD Branches in downtown Calgary, North Hill and Chinook Centre and later as a Retirement Income Counsellor.
Wil coached hockey as his boys were growing up and he was active with the Varsity Community Centre. The family spent many summers on the farm where Violet grew up, near Highridge, Alberta and travelling back to Yorkton, Saskatchewan to see Wil's family. Wil and Vi took the family to Hawaii and Disneyland and later travelled together to many locations in Europe, the Holy Land (Israel), Hawaii, Arizona and Victoria, B.C. often joining up and visiting with family members on their travels. Wil enjoyed golfing and was a member at Silver Springs Golf & Country Club for many years. He continued to play golf and hit balls even when he was in his 90's. Wil has been an active member of Foothills Lutheran Church for 5 decades as a treasurer, elder and later as an organizer of the Silver Saints group. He also volunteered his time for Meals on Wheels and Providence Child and he would regularly visit people in the hospital. Wil & Vi enjoyed hosting many family dinners and get-togethers.
Wil is survived by his four sons: Jeff (Mary), Tom (Barb), Jay (Lisa) and Brian. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Wil was predeceased by his beloved wife Violet and all his siblings.
He lived a full life, steadfast in his faith. He was a gifted athlete who enjoyed many sports and was known for his wisdom and loving support of friends and family, especially in times of need. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends especially his chatty friendliness and warm sense of humour.
A private funeral service will be held at Foothills Lutheran Church, 3104 34 Ave NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A3, on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 1:00 PM. A livestream will be available on the Foothills Lutheran Church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com. Please use your existing personal FB account to login or create a new one.
If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Lutheran Hour Ministries at: https://www.lhm.org.
