August 25, 1956 - September 3, 2021
Unwavering in his commitment to his faith, family, and friends, Ron Schreiber passed away peacefully at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary on September 3rd, 2021 with his family by his side. Ron was 65.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1956 to Leo and Victoria Schreiber, Ron was raised on Royal Canadian Air Force bases with his three siblings. Even at a young age, Ron had a great sense of humour, and also showed great empathy for others, doing more than his fair share of the household chores and helping his siblings with their school work. He loved sports and was a talented goalie in hockey and a skilled football quarterback. He excelled in school and his siblings said he gave stirring speeches during assemblies that moved everyone in the room. Ron was a walking encyclopedia and excelled in his schoolwork, graduating with a degree in Microbiology from the University of Calgary when he was just 20. Following university, Ron attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and received training as a Telecommunications Technician.
Remarkably, Ron spent 46 years with AGT/Telus across southern Alberta. Ron loved his job, especially working cable repair. He loved getting into his work truck and completing challenging jobs. Ron always took the backroads for an added adventure and to expand his fountain of knowledge. On his retirement and 65th birthday, just a week before he passed, Ron was personally, made a Telus Legend by the company—an honour that was such a fitting tribute to one of the most dedicated people and employees you could ever meet. As a cable repair technician, he always worked to the best of his ability and spent many years building lasting relationships with his colleagues.
One of the biggest champions of Catholic Education in the Province, Ron served as a School Board Trustee for nearly three decades, first with the Assumption Roman Catholic School Division and as Board Chair of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools. In the words of Dr. Scott Morrison, Superintendent of the Division, “The sense of loss felt by the division is indescribable. In his service to Catholic Education, Ron was faithful, intelligent, humble, kind, and virtuous. Redeemer has lost one of our favourite sons.” Late in the evenings, after reading stories to the kids and drafting board reports, you could find Ron in the kitchen with his guitar. Late night Flamenco guitar solos and church hymns for Sunday were familiar sounds that brought comfort to everyone in the house. Ron served on the music ministry at St. James Catholic Church for decades, and forged strong friendships as well as fostered a true calling to serve the Church and community. Ron was given studio recording time from his children in 2016 and he recorded eight songs, including one he wrote called Old Man’s Lament: “All together now, ready to go home.” Ron’s appreciation and critique of all genres of music were instructional exercises he shared with his family. The lyrics he wrote for much of his music centered around his humble lifestyle, focusing on the beauty of family, nature, and the true gift that life is. He made everyone want to appreciate everything a little more. He was exciting and fun to be around, and his kindness was felt by strangers. Ron was always ready with a kind word, though we all know the man could converse, and many conversations could last hours.
Ron’s dedication to providing service to others was instilled in him by the hospitality shown by his mother. His warm smile and friendly approach captivated his family, friends, and even strangers. It was always fun to get him immersed in a topic (he was proficient in many) and listen to him insert all of his energy into examining the many angles of any particular subject. His children, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren all felt comfort in him as the ultimate storyteller; he drew them in with laughter, character, and excitement. Ron was immune to many of the draws of the material world. His lifestyle was led by intense faith in God and the desire to try to be his best everyday. This is a faith he shared with his wife, and together they were able to lay the foundations for a close knit, loving family and extended family.
Ron expressed his strong love and admiration for his wife, Maureen, describing her as his strength in faith and commitment. They found so much joy in providing a steady home base for their family. They shared a love of road trips and day trips meant for exploration, following the mantra of “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. They planned to travel more in Ron’s retirement, as they so enjoyed their trips to Churchill, Powell River, and the Maritimes together. Ron is survived by his amazing children Sara (Sylvain) Bourgault, Colleen (David) Leinster, Simon (Laura Schultz) Schreiber, Aaron (Daneill) Schreiber, Peter (Hailey) Schreiber, Joseph (Kait Lefaivre) Schreiber, Molly (Michael) Metcalf, Teresa Schreiber, and Curtis (Tracy) Jackson.
In his later years, Ron was known to all of us as “Pops”, grandfather extraordinaire! He has forever made an indelible and lasting impression on all of his twenty grandchildren: Wayne, Hank, Rose, Redmond, Quinn, Jude, Matilda, Nina, Hugo, Lev,Alina, James, Bea, Evelyn, Gabriel, Caylem, Noah, Caete, Hannah, and Amelia. Ron is predeceased by his parents, Leo and Victoria Schreiber, and he is survived by his siblings Shirley, Vernon (Angela), and Darrell (Jodi) and families. Ron was also an important part of the lives of Elaine (Lynn), Sean (Cheryl), Kevin (Marie), Erin and his many nieces and nephews who loved him so much. Whether it was telling a story to his kids or grandkids, taking a road trip, or travelling the open road with work, to Ron, it was never about the destination, always the journey. Life has been a journey for Ron, one he has honoured in so many ways, especially in his dedication to faith and family, service to others, and laughter with loved ones. Now that his journey has come to an end we have faith that he is at his desired heavenly destination and at peace with God. He will be greatly missed by many, though we are comforted by the example he has left for us and the countless beautiful memories we share.
Prayers will be held at St. James Parish in Okotoks on Friday, September 10 at 7:00PM. A funeral mass will be held the following day, Saturday, September 11 at 2:00PM at St. James Parish. The family appreciates the many people who donated blood that supported Ron throughout his battle with Leukemia. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating blood or make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada at llscanada.org or Canada Blood Services at blood.ca.
