OBITUARY: George Rolheiser was a long-time diocesan volunteer

George Rolheiser (1939-2023) of St. Donatus Parish, located near his home at Cactus Lake, volunteered for some 20 years in the diocesan Lay Formation program. (Photo by C. Stang, Facebook)

Obituary from Gregory’s Funeral Home, Provost

Vigil Service – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023

Mass of Christian Burial – 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 

(Both services for George Rolheiser will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church, 4805 Express Ave., Macklin, SK.  and the funeral will also be live-streamed on the Gregory’s Funeral Home website: gregorysfuneralhomes.com)

George J. Rolheiser was born Oct. 19, 1939, the sixth child in a family of 16.

He grew up on the farm at St. Donatus, in the Cactus Lake District.  He attended Panama School and with no opportunity for him to further his education he joined the workforce at an early age.

Some of his jobs included working for farmers, hauling gravel and most notably driving a school bus. George and his brother Fred took over the family farm after their parents passed away and they farmed together for close to 50 years before retiring to Macklin, Saskatchewan.

He was a pillar of the St. Donatus church community, helping in every way.

George was an active and devoted member of Lay Formation for 20 years, a leader on the Diocesan Youth Retreat Team and a member of the Knights of Columbus. The friendships he forged lasted his lifetime.

George enjoyed sports, playing on the local fastball team and rec hockey team. He enjoyed a good card game, especially Crib and Buck and had a very competitive spirit.

He held a special place in the lives of his nieces and nephews entertaining them with countless stories, money handshakes, farm walks, mountain hikes, music trivia and endless jokes.  As one of his nieces said the day he passed, “Countless hearts broke a little today. He was 1 in 8 billion and the world is poorer because he left us.”

George died peacefully at the Provost Health Centre on Jan. 29, 2023 at the age of 83 years.

Left to cherish his memory are his brothers, Fr. Wendelin OMI, Ken (Linda), Fr. Ron OMI, and Pius (Patty); his sisters, Maureen, Bea (Cliff), Patti, Luci (Che); sister-in-law, Anne; and brothers-in-law, Mark Stang (Rita), and Angus.  He is also loved and will be dearly missed by 54 nephews and nieces and their families, and countless friends.

Welcoming George into heaven are his parents, George and Mathilda; his sisters, Leona (David) Sieben, Isabel Stang, Sr. Helen OSU, and Agnes; his brothers, Edwin, Fred and Denis (Elizabeth); his in-laws, Mick Hertz and Arthur Stang; his nephew, David Sieben Jr; his niece, Audrey Sieben and his great nephew, Dylan Beyak.

A Vigil Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, and the Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Gerorge’s brothers Fr Ron Rolheiser, OMI, and Fr. Wendelin Rolheiser, OMI, will officiate.

Both services will be held at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Macklin, SK. (For those travelling from Alberta, please allow for one hour time change.)

For those unable to attend in person, a live stream of the  funeral will be available through the Gregory’s Funeral Home Inc. website: gregorysfuneralhomes.com.

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