ALBERT FRANCIS MULTINS

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ALBERT FRANCIS MULTINS Albert Multins passed away peacefully on July 4, 2015, at Seven Oaks General Hospital, at 91 years of age. He is survived by his daughters, Ingrid Zebinski and her husband, Rick, and Anita Mitchell and her husband, Tim, all from Winnipeg; and a son, Richard Multins and his partner, Beverley from Regina, Saskatchewan. He is also survived by two grandchildren, David and Tyrone Zebinski, nephews Vilnius Caks, and Rudy Vingris, nieces Liesma Mithrush, and Rita Andres and their families. Albert was predeceased by his wife, Inta in 1981. He was also predeceased by his mother Alekzandra, father Kazimirs, brother Valdis, and sisters Victoria, Hedda and Regina. Dad was born May 12, 1924 in Daugavpils, Latvia, the second youngest of four siblings. He had a real aptitude for numbers and was studying to become an accountant before the Second World War intervened. The ensuing war years tested Dad's ingenuity to survive in ways that he never imagined and he was able, despite what was happening all around him, to protect and provide safe passage to many of his countrymen seeking help. He, himself, had to endure a harrowing escape from Latvia when he had to persuade his father to get into his motorcycle sidecar while bullets flew by them as the armies advanced. Ending up in a work camp, he sustained an injury when a tank rolled over his leg. This injury plagued him later in life. But it was the war, and all that he had seen and dealt with, that defined and influenced who he became when he finally arrived in Canada in 1948 as a Second World War refugee immigrant. With the rest of his family choosing different countries to immigrate to, he chose Canada because he felt it would give him a better life. Even though he spoke four languages (Latvian, German, Polish and Russian) he often said he never dreamed he would need English. After landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia he made his way to Winnipeg to work clearing brush. Young and very handsome, Dad embraced his new homeland and joined the YMCA as he was very much into sports. In 1950, he became the Manitoba Open Table Tennis Champion, and in later years, it was amazing to watch him show off his champion prowess at family gatherings. His love of sports stayed with him all his life and he was passionate about watching most sports but especially hockey and football. In Winnipeg Dad met his future love of his life, Inta. While he knew of her in Daugavpils, she was eight years his junior then but she caught his eye and heart this time around and they married in 1951. They had three children, Ingrid, Anita and Richard. Dad found work as a machine operator making mattresses for some of the biggest names in the industry. He was a hard and tireless worker, but he always made time to take the family on summer vacations to the Whiteshell renting a cabin and teaching us to water ski, fish and to just enjoy the lake life. He also travelled with his wife, to Alberta to visit his sister Regina's family and to Indianapolis to visit his oldest sister, Hedda and her family. The early passing of his wife in 1981 was hard on Dad and he spent the remainder of his life enjoying the company of his children. Not a big traveler, he did take trips out to Moncton and Toronto to visit his daughter Ingrid's young family there. He also took many road trips, with his daughter Anita, to visit his son in Regina. He loved getting together with all his children whether it was for summer BBQ's and pool swims to birthday and Christmas celebrations. In his later years, the Multins family trait of stubbornness took hold of Dad and he never shied away from expressing his strong opinions of life and how to properly live it. Most of this always came back to "staying in the green chair". He had a strong interest in world politics and family gatherings often included lengthy oratorical speeches of world disasters -- political or weather related. Up until his admittance into hospital, he maintained a strong sense of independence and a distrust of anyone's advice other than his own. He truly did it his way right up until the end. In accordance with Dad's wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family interment will be held at a later date. The family wishes to extend their thanks to all the medical and support staff of Unit 4 at Seven Oaks Hospital who cared for our father. You showed great patience and understanding for his situation and most of all, his character. Rest has finally arrived, Dad. Godspeed. The green chair is waiting. Glen Eden Funeral Home & Cemetery (204) 338-7111

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 11, 2015