Lögberg-Heimskringla - 13.02.2004, Blaðsíða 11

Lögberg-Heimskringla • 13 febrúar 2004 • page 11
“Any marís death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind... No man is an island, entire ofhimself. ”—John Donne • “Maður er manns gaman. ”—Hávamál
Spotlighting lives lived and milestones in the lives oflcelandic North Americans.
Marvin Adalstein Thorsteinson
On a beautiful snowy night,
January 17, 2004, at
Riverview Health Center,
Marvin Thorsteinson “crossed
the bar” into peaceful waters.
The family wishes to thank
the staff of 2B at Riverview for
the kindness and compassion
that was shown to Marvin, with
special thanks to his primary
nurse Eugenia. Thanks must
also be extended to Gayle and
the many Home Care givers
who helped him stay with
Frances as long as possible.
Marvin was the loving hus-
band and life long companion
to Frances (Fanny) for sixty-
two years. Together they had
five children who were the
recipients of his love, trust and
inspiration - an example for
their lives. He gave us a belief
that anything is possible, that
trust is a fulfillment of love,
and that gentleness is the true
way of life. He was a hero to
his children and grandchildren,
and his memory will live in the
hearts and minds of his wife,
Frances, and his children, Tom
(Cathy), Joan (Derek), Betsy
(Brad), Gloria (Michael), Inga
(Ed), and grandchildren, Emily
(Timothy), Eric, Angela
(Ryan), and great-grandchil-
dren, BrookJyn and Riley. He is
also remembered by his brother
Magnus (Vala), and many
cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his sis-
ter, Sigrun, and his brothers,
Rurik, Baldwin, and Stephan.
To all who knew him,
Marvin was an exceptional
man. He was an inventor and
an engineer with the soul of an
artist - a man who loved work-
ing with machines, but who
loved life and always showed
great compassion and sensitivi-
ty to people. He was a man gift-
ed with golden hands and a ren-
aissance mind.
Marvin was born in
Winnipeg on October 26, 1917,
the third child of Kristin and
Adalstein Thorsteinson. For
Marvin, life was an adventure.
As a teenager, he and his broth-
ers rode their bicycles hundreds
of miles on day trips to Kenora,
Winnipeg Beach, and North
Dakota. At the start of World
War H, he enlisted in the Navy
and it was there he received his
engineering degree. After
working for a variety of compa-
nies, he and a partner founded
Dominion Armature Works,
where he worked the majority
of his life. He was instrumental
in the development of a new
method of manufacturing pre-
stressed concrete core floors
which is still being used around
the world. After leaving
Dominion Armature he went
on to fulfill his dream of own-
ing and operating an induction
heating foundry, Orion Metals.
He ended his career traveling
the world as a consultant for
Spiroll Corporation.
Lake Winnipeg was always
an important part of his life and
in 1967 He and Frances pur-
chased the family cottage on
Sunset Boulevard in Victoria
Beach. During his transition to
retirement, he was able to pur-
sue his passion for rebuilding
steel hulled boats. He loved tin-
kering with their designs and
systems. For Marvin, refitting
the boats was fun, but rediscov-
ering his inner Icelander in
family adventures on Lake
Winnipeg was the real pleasure.
While not religious in the
conventional sense, Marvin
was a spiritual man who
thought long and hard about the
nature of God. He loved to lis-
ten to classical music, Bach and
Beethoven being two of his
favorites. He was fascinated by
contemporary theories of
physics, including string theory
and chaos theory, as well as
Gaia, the idea that Earth is a
living organism. To Marvin,
God had many faces.
On Marvin’s passing,
Frances said, “Thankfully, his
ordeal is over.” She was not
talking about his life, only the
last small part of it. She went
on to say, “He is finally on his
boat to stay.” So with love from
all of us to you Marvin, “Bon
Voyage.”
In lieu of flowers, dona-
tions may be made to 2B Ward,
Riverview Health Centre, 1
Morley, Winnipeg, MB, R3L
2P4, or The Winnipeg Humane
Society, 5 Kent Street,
Winnipeg, MB, R2L 1X3, or a
charity of your choice.
Friends gathered with the
family to celebrate Marvin’s
life on February 5, at Tavem in
the Park, 2nd floor, Assiniboine
Park Pavillion, Winnipeg.
Leifur John Einarson
On January 11, 2004, at the
E. M. Crowe Memorial
Hospital in Eriksdale, MB,
beloved husband, father and
grandfather, Leifur John
Einarson, aged eighty-three
years, of Lundar, MB.
Leifur’s memory will be
forever cherished by his lov-
ing wife of fifty-five years,
Evangeline (Eva); his daugh-
ter Merle Anderson (Conrad);
his son Grant (Kathy); his
granddaughter Tammy
Bergthorson (John); his grand-
sons, Ward Howardson and
Robert and Ryan Einarson; his
great-grandchildren, Jamie
Lee, John and Rachel
Bergthorson; his brother
Dennis (Brenda); sisters,
Helen (Howard), Jocelyn
(Tubby) and Mercedes
(Mercy); and numerous nieces
and nephews. He was prede-
ceased by his parents
Snaebjorn and Gudridur; his
son Howard John (Lucky);
brothers, Magnus, Olafur, Carl
and Halldor; and sisters,
Thordis and Lillian.
Leifur was born at home,
December 4, 1920, in Lundar.
He recalled his childhood
years as happy ones and
always had humourous and
interesting stories to relate.
At Minto Armouries on
July 11, 1940, he enlisted into
the Royal Canadian Arrny
Medical Corps. Two days later
he was on a train to Halifax
where he boarded the troop
ship The Empress of
Australia. After ten days at
sea, he arrived in Gourock,
Scotland. From there he took a
train to Farnbourough,
England, then on to
Leatherhead, England. He
later transferred to the Royal
Canadian Service Corps No. 8
Field Ambulance. He served
in the United Kingdom,
Continental Europe and
Central Mediterranean Area.
After being honourably dis-
charged September 10, 1945,
he returned home on the
Dutch ship The New
Amsterdam, spending three
and one-half days at sea.
Leifur married Evangeline
Malcolm March 12, 1948.
They, along with Leifur’s
brother Carl, owned and oper-
ated the Veteran’s Cafe in
Lundar until it burned in
January of 1950. Leifur was
an earnest and hard worker.
Most often his work would
take him away from home. He
always put his family’s needs
before his own, even sacrific-
ing being with his family for
more than one Christmas in
order to provide for us.
He tended bar at the old
Lundar Hotel, worked for his
uncle Joe Gislason at Joe’s
float factory, worked at the
Swán Creek Hatchery, trapped,
was a commercial fisherman,
worked for Manitoba Hydro,
BACM, Brodsky Construction,
for J. S. Sigfusson & Sons
suntmers as a heavy equipment
operator and for Sigfusson
Transportation Company win-
ters, hauling freight and fuel to
remote northem communities.
He worked as a grader operator
for Manitoba Highways and
Transportation from 1975 to
1986, at which time he retired.
He loved to watch sports
of any kind in winter and
spent many long hours tending
to his garden in summer.
He was a life member of
the Royal Canadian Legion
and served as Treasurer for the
Lundar Branch for a time.
Leifur was an excellent cook
and was often called upon to
man the flapjack griddle at
various functions. He loved
music, especially when Eva
would strike up a tune on her
fiddle.
The farnily would like to
extend our heartfelt thanks to
Dr. Neil Burnett and the excel-
lent nursing staff at the E. M.
Crowe Hospital; also, a very
special thank you to Patty
Johnson for her professional-
ism, kindness and compassion
during our difficult time.
In accordance with his
wishes, cremation has taken
place and no forrnal service
will be held. A private farnily
interment will be held at a
later date.
In lieu of flowers, if
friends so desire, donations
may be made in his memory to
the Lundar Lutheran Church,
Lundar,MB R0C 1Y0.
Arrangements by Arnason
Funeral Homes Ltd. 1-204-
768-2072.
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