Obituary of Wolfgang Wilfred Wuhr

Affectionately known as Wolfie or Wilfie, Wolf or Wilf, Wolfgang Wilfred Wuhr passed peacefully at home in Minto NB, on April 20, 2017. Born Nov 27, 1925 to Mathias and Mathilda (Zimmerman) Wuhr of Minto NB. He was preceded both in life and death by his beloved wife Bertha Mary (Richard) Wuhr (1924-2013) of Rogersville NB. Married circa 1960 in Toronto, they lived for one another. He faithfully cared for her in her ailing days, and daily visited her in the W.G.Bishop Nursing Home (North Minto) in her final months. Survived by the family of his brother Mathias (1929-1999) in his nephews Mathias and Konrad; also cousins in the Wuhr & Skutnik families. Thanks to family that lived as neighbours (and neighbours that lived as family), Wilfred died at home in accordance with his wishes, with thanks due especially to Diane (Wuhr) Tower and John Wuhr for being with him in his final days & moments, and for helping after he vigorously declined going to a hospital. Wilfred died from a tumor in his lower lung, with a general malaise robbing him of his appetite recently. Probably best known to area residents for his amazing stamina in bicycling all over Minto, some may be surprised to hear how far he would travel (all the back trails of the mud dumps, and down to Grand Lake). He knew the highways and the byways, as well as the back streets. Friend or amusing acquaintance to many, he can be remembered for his continual interest in health and disease, pills and medications, and for advice learned from his continual reading and collecting of medical books (and the Dr. Oz show!). One or two new editions will be donated in his memory to the Minto Public Library. He was known for continuously scribbling notes in the newspapers and books he read, and for that matter on any scrap of paper he happened to have. Named after his grandfather Wolfgang (who established a farm at what is now Wuhr’s Beach), this Wolfgang would always initial his correspondence as WWW, long before the internet made those initials popular. In his youth, he drove a motorcycle, but never applied for an automobile driver’s license, instead relying on Bertha to do the driving. He was the owner of many a car, but driver of none. The most notable was their wine coloured 1967 Mustang, which they drove well into the 1980’s. Wolfie was always the navigator, setting the course for the journey (with a fine-tuned sense of direction long before GPS). After the second World War, he did two round-the-world tours in the Merchant Navy, stopping along the Gold Coast of Africa (where he contracted Malaria and fought it off on-board while bed-ridden, thanks to the care of two of his shipmate friends), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Shanghai, to name a few. He worked (as many NB’ers of his day) in Toronto where he married Bertha. He worked in a variety of jobs there in Toronto, then circa 1964 the two moved to Waltham, Massachusetts (outskirts of Boston). Wolfie was never a career man, but always a casual labourer. The two returned to Minto in the 1970’s to live with “Grammy” or “Aunt Tillie”. The house where Wilfie lived was built by his father Mathias with the Carnegie Hero award money received for his efforts in a coal mining tragedy that occurred in a shaft behind the current location of the Minto Centennial Arena (WWW.mychfc.org/Awardee.aspx?hero=33289). Recently seen on a bike in early-April, Wilfred’s health remained strong due to his stubborn resiliency, and due to his continual bicycling, lawn mowing and shovelling, even into this his final winter. Thanks are expressed to many for helping uncle Wolfie with drives, odds-and-ends, handyman repairs, and for donating day-old newspapers (which he would read from front page to last). Apologies to any he may have annoyed with his blunt personality (asking about their health, etc). Every family is proud to have a slightly eccentric uncle or cousin, and we are. Indeed, Wolfie/Wilfie was loved by his family and friends, and will be missed for his energy, knowledge of the area and its people, continual letter writing in the most bizarre fashion (sometimes in home-made envelopes covered with newspaper pictures to resemble a postcard), and for his kindness and gentleness (once you got beyond his distrust of everyone in the bureaucracy of modern life). Travelling around with him was always an adventure: for example, he would always handwrite and date a note, stuff it into a bottle or other container and then tuck it behind a tree, rock or underpass, as a mini time capsule. Never a religious man, he could have been a Franciscan for his friendship to any and many, no matter their station in life. His wishes were for nothing formal to follow his death, but a burial with Bertha will be organized this summer (currently scheduling the second week of July) at St Bridget’s Cemetery, Hardwood Ridge NB. Pictures are viewable on the Hogg Funeral Services website.(www.hoggfunerals.ca)