STUEBNER, Karl

It is with heavy hearts that we say “until we meet again” to Karl Heinz Stuebner - an incredible husband, father and papa.

After a short battle with cancer, Karl made his peaceful and gentle transition on April 2, 2021 at 3:00PM surrounded by his loving family at the Hospice Wellington in Guelph at the age of 80. It was a beautiful day, -2 degrees and sunny - not a cloud in the sky (dad always kept a record of how the day was looking).

Born on August 20, 1940 in Dresden, Germany, Karl immigrated to Canada in search of a better life. He met Rita Moroni, the love of his life, at a dance at Paradise Gardens, and offered her a gift that no man had yet to offer - two aspirin and the promise to be her forever (what more could a girl ask for). Together, they planted their roots in Guelph and began their life as one.

Karl is survived by his loving wife Rita; his beloved daughters Renee and Kristina; his two son (in marriage) Rob Wesseling and Brent Gilley; his four adoring grandsons Owen, Hayden, Carson and Parker; his two sisters Karin Moessner and Martina Leonhardt from Germany, his brother Eric Koch from Vancouver, BC, and an extended family of relations and longtime friends from every walk of life who will sadly miss him.

He is predeceased by his sister Sieglinde Henzchen of Germany and his best friend and “brother from another mother” Jerry Schosser of Brantford, ON (time for beers and pork roasts boys!).

For those that had the privilege of knowing our Dad Karl, you’ll remember him as a kind and gentle person who always had a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. His pleasant personality was contagious to everyone he met, and he was always there to brighten the lives of others with his huge heart, friendly demeanour and welcoming open arms.

He was a rare combination of someone who had a zest for life (no matter what it threw at him) and a firm understanding of what was important— the simplicity of living a life with those you love.

Of all the people he touched, his most proud achievement in life was marrying his wife Rita who supported him in all his glory during his heyday, and lovingly supported him physically during their last days together.

The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Karl, and he had an uncanny ability to find happiness in his daily activities.

He loved throwing a fishing line into the French River while sipping a cold beer (or 2 - always just 2 beers right Dad!) on a beautiful spring/summer or fall day. He loved skiing, golfing, boating and snowmobiling with the family dog in the boat or on the sled with him. He danced around the living room playing his air guitar or drums to the likes of Supertramp, ABBA, Air Supply and Boney M; he loved planes, trains and automobiles and shared his love for travel with his wife and
kids. You can travel the world now Dad - whenever and wherever you want to go.

He taught us (his daughters) everything he knew - like how to change a tire, check your oil and pump your own gas; how to cut the lawn (the right way and never walk on it afterwards); how to take care of the pool; how to ski and how to drive a boat, and how to make the perfect drink (Canadian Club and ginger ale) to go with the Swiss steak, waxed beans and mashed potatoes he used to make. He took us to the mall to buy our first bras (followed by an orange sorbet) when mom was working late and wiped our tears away after a breakup or when we were having a bad day. He used to say “there aren’t blue or pink jobs - you’re the left hand and your husband is the right. You do things together and you’ll be alright.”

He adored and took extreme pride in his four grandsons. They could do no wrong in his eyes nor could he do wrong in theirs. He taught them the 3 F’s - fish, frogs and fire (wink wink) and how to dig for worms and get dirty. They listened intently, with wide eyes and adoration to the stories of his childhood and life in Germany. He taught them to fish, to
love with all their hearts and to just be thankful. They built many memories at the cottage on the French River and they always knew that their biggest fan - their papa would be cheering (and chirp’n) them from the sidelines at the baseball diamond or behind the glass at the rink.

The “Four Banditos” promise that they will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest - just like their papa.

Special thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses from Bayshore and night nurses from Care Partners (E-Shift) who provided invaluable care to our Dad and support for our Mom for many months. And to the amazing staff and volunteers at Hospice Wellington, for helping to make Dad’s final days calm, peaceful and surrounded by love.

Cremation has taken place. A private family memorial and celebration of Karl’s journey has yet to be made, and his ashes will be laid to rest at a later date.

We will forever adore and remember you, and we will stand taller and stronger knowing you are now watching over us.

You will be missed but never forgotten.