ERIC JOHN BUECKERT

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ERIC JOHN BUECKERT
March 14, 1956 – June 24, 2022

With the heaviest of hearts, the family of Eric Bueckert announces his passing at home, surrounded by family and faithful Lexy at his bedside.
He is survived by his children, Josh (Kate) and Katherine (Chad), grandchildren, Isabella and Ryder, and his loving fiancée Rhonda Reyher. Many family and friends will miss him dearly, including sisters, Vera Eidse (Brian) and Lynn Bueckert (Craig), brother Al Bueckert (Christine), nieces, Vanessa Eidse (Neil), Alison Froehlich (Cory) and Kimberly Bueckert, great-nephews, Luke, Gabriel and Elias Eidse. He was predeceased by his wife of 34 years, Colleen, his parents, Peter and Eva Bueckert, brother-in-law Brian Eidse, and in-laws, Ben Nickel and Tina Faulk.
Born in Altona and raised in Gretna, Manitoba, Eric graduated from Mennonite Collegiate Institute in 1974. After growing up in the same Rosetown church, he and Colleen married in 1978. Eric enthusiastically took on cherished new roles of husband, father, and business owner. He purchased Bueckert Motors in Gretna from his father in 1982, which he relocated to Altona in 1990 and ran until 2001. While raising his family in the 1990s, he took on leadership roles such as president of the Altona Chamber of Commerce and seats on various dealer committees in the Chrysler Corporation. In the 2000s, he continued his career in the automotive retail industry before retiring in 2014 just outside of Birds Hill, Manitoba.
Beyond his professional dedication to the car industry, his passion and love for classic American automotive history and culture ran incredibly deep. In recent years, he and Rhonda could regularly be found cruising in one of his classic muscle cars and attending car shows across the country. His knowledge was impressive and having long conversations with friends telling stories about classic cars was Eric in his element.
While nothing quite rivalled his love of all things automotive, his loyalty to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Jets came close. Eric was genuinely touched and humbled to become an honorary keeper of the Grey Cup this past May. From a young age, he loved exploring and collecting, hobbies he continued in his later years, particularly during his and Rhonda's regular escapes to Arizona.
His loved ones thank the caring staff at Selkirk Health Centre and CancerCare Manitoba, and wish to remind men to have their prostate checked and know their PSA number.
Donations are invited to be made in his memory to Winnipeg's Siloam Mission.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m. at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 28, 2022