Edmund Wittal

It is with great sadness that we announce our beloved husband/dad/grandpa passed away peacefully at the age of 83 with his wife at his side. He is survived by the love of his life, Theresa, his wife of 62 years; his children Brad (Eve), Tanis (Alan) and Scott; his grandchildren Lauren, Brett and Caralyn, who were his pride and joy; his siblings Beth, Elsie, Olga, Bill (Gloria) and Sieg (Irene); many nieces, nephews, extended family and many dear friends. He was predeceased by his parents Martin and Wilhelmina and his siblings John, Min, Martin, Ernie, Molly and Elma.
Ed was born in Markinch, Saskatchewan where he grew up on a farm and learned to ride horses and play sports. He was born a kind and gregarious person and through the years of living with his parents and 11 siblings developed his passionate love of family. He met his wife, Theresa LaBatte, in Regina and married into another very large family. He and his bride moved to the Westcoast and became longtime residents of Burnaby where for many years he worked for the Credit Union. He was a League Executive Member for VanBurn Fastball, an avid golfer and a lifetime member of the Burnaby Seniors Golf Club but got his “hole-in-one” at Mylora Golf Course. He was also a member of the Burnaby and Coquitlam Curling Clubs. Ed was a dedicated volunteer for the LPGA, PGA and the Champions Tour when they were hosted in Greater Vancouver. He worked on the transportation committee and chauffeured many of the players and their families. He was a huge Calgary Stampeders, Montreal Canadians and LA Dodgers fan. Not only was he a sports fan, but also a Family Ancestry fan. He was always avidly researching his family tree and adding names to his growing family.
Thank you to Dr. Hanam and the staff of the Home Health Palliative Program and Crossroads Hospice for their help. A Celebration of Ed’s life will be held at the Burquitlam Funeral Home 625 North Road, Coquitlam, on Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.