Lorne Giesbrecht
Obituary
Lorne Giesbrecht
December 4, 1950-May 21, 2021
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lorne Giesbrecht, age 70 years. Lorne will be greatly missed, but always remembered by his loving wife and best friend of 50 years, Carol, daughter Charlene, son Lorne (Amelia), grandchildren; Brandon, Jason, Nathan and Athena, brothers; Edward (Janet), Gene (Barb), sisters; Sandra, Lori (Lorne), brothers in law; Bill (Marie), Ron, Brian (Val), sisters in law; Dianne, Angie, Laurie, Nyla (Darrell) and countless nieces, nephews and dear friends. And of course, we cannot forget his trusted furry friend, Rusty.
Lorne was predeceased by his daughter Cheri, parents Ed and Mary Giesbrecht, parents in law John and Emily Cechvala, sister Yvonne Trinke, niece Tammy Berg and her husband Gary Berg.
On December 4, 1950, Lorne could not wait to see this world. He was in such a hurry to arrive that he could not wait until they got to the hospital. So en route to Altona, Lorne was born in the cab of a late 40's Fargo half ton between sections 16-2-1W and 17-2-1W in the Municipality of Rhineland.
Lorne was the 4th of six children, born to Ed and Mary Giesbrecht, and spent his early years in Rosenfeld and Winkler. As a boy, Lorne was very enthusiastic about baseball. At the age of 12, Lorne was part of the Pembina North All-Stars and the team went on to win the provincial championship. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Winnipeg. They first settled in East Kildonan and then moved to Transcona when Lorne was about to start high school. It was as a young teen, that he first laid his eyes on his future wife, Carolyn. The two of them would know of each other, but did not start dating until sometime later, when they met in the hallways of the high school, and Lorne offered to give Carolyn a ride home. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives together.
Lorne and Carol married on August 29, 1970. Just two short years later in 1972, they welcomed their first child, Naomi Charlene. Five years later, in 1977, Cheri Michelle was born. And then in 1978, finally a son was born, and Lorne Jr. completed the family of five.
Lorne was a man of many interests and hobbies, and he was always building or collecting. From an early age, Lorne had a love of cars. In his teens and early twenties, he built and restored classic cars, such as his 1937 Ford sedan, his 1964 Chevy Nova and his 1951 Chevy torpedo back. When he wasn't building cars, he was racing or watching them race. Drag racing was such a keen interest of Lorne's, that he and Carol spent their honeymoon in Indianapolis at the drag races. Lorne didn't just sit back and watch the races, he could also be seen behind the wheel of his street rod, racing at Keystone Dragway. Lorne also took his family to Brainerd, MN for the annual drag racing event in the summer. And if restoring cars and drag racing wasn't enough, Lorne also built model cars and remote control cars. He even started a remote control car club that met weekly to race. He was known as Lorne "Psycho" Giesbrecht by its members.
Lorne always had an interest in photography. When his children were still small, he began his own photography business, building a studio and darkroom in the basement of their home. Lorne was always the guy with a camera in this hand. This can be proven by the hundreds of thousands of photos that fill up many albums and boxes in their home to this very day. There are many Transcona residents who are in possession of team and dance photos that Lorne will have taken.
Lorne loved fishing. Whether it was a trip with his Dad and brothers, a fly in fishing trip with the guys, or a family summer vacation to Caliper Lake and Larson's Camp, Lorne was at one with the water and he could fish all day until nightfall. And he was never the guy who told the tale about the master angler that got away. Lorne had a photo to prove it.
Lorne was a self taught man, and he learned all he knew about everything just by doing. There was no Google or You Tube when Lorne was restoring his cars, building his remote control cars, or developing film photos in his darkroom. He may not have been an educated man, but you would think otherwise with the knowledge that he had about so many things. In most recent years, Lorne's passion was computers. He could build a computer from the ground up, or troubleshoot any issue, and he took great pride in helping others with their computer needs.
But with all the skills and talents that Lorne had, he was a kind and caring man, and his family meant the world to him. Even when his world seemed to be falling apart, Lorne would put the needs of his children before any of his own. From helping them with science fair projects, to coaching a hockey team, to teaching them responsibility, Lorne loved his three children with his entire heart. And once he became a grandfather, this love grew ten times. His four grandchildren were the apples of his eye, and Lorne couldn't be prouder, up until his very last day, of the fine men and young lady that his grandchildren had become.
Lorne was a remarkable husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and devoted friend to many who will miss his goofy smile, infectious laughter and generous spirit. The world lost a great man, but heaven gained a special Angel. Together with his daughter, Cheri, and others who have gone before him, Lorne will put a little more laughter in heaven, and watch over us until we meet him again.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Ryan Thompson, the staff at the Manitoba Home IV Program, Cancer Care Manitoba, Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital for their outstanding and compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Cancer Care Manitoba, Alzheimer's Association of Manitoba or the charity of your choice. Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held once Covid restrictions allow.
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