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Manfred (Fred) Reinholt Achenbach

July 1, 2015

Achenbachsm

In his 71st year, Fred succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident during his daily morning bike ride.

Born in Germany, Fred came to Sudbury, Ontario as a child with his mother in the upheaval after WWII. Adapting to a new culture was challenging, as the wearing of lederhosen was not well received by his schoolmates. These differences were settled in the traditional way of boys. Fred skipped two grades, failed two grades, and graduated from Laurentian University with a degree in History.

He began his career, implausibly, at Dun and Bradstreet in Toronto. A white collar lifestyle was not for him, and his sense of adventure brought him to Vancouver. He worked as a longshoreman, and in a bicycle shop assembling racing bikes. Following his heart, he came to the Kootenays and worked for the Parks Branch at Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park then as a roughneck on the Alberta rigs.

Fred had an exceptionally curious mind and was interested in all things mechanical, music, the visual arts, film, and architecture. He was passionate about designing houses with perfect balance of form and function. He embraced new technologies as they were evolving - solar power and super insulation - and had dreamed of building small, energy-efficient housing in Cranbrook.

Fred was a strong presence in a room, and like all people who have this gift, it was done without effort. His complex nature made life interesting. He was deeply loyal to those of his friends who persevered and got to know his good heart behind a somewhat forthright character. It has been truly said that Fred always posed questions that the rest of us wanted to know, but were too inhibited to ask.

His loss will be deeply felt by his partner Susanne Ashmore, dear friend Mary Chilton, Pat and Kenny Ferguson and their boys Jeremy and Aaron Sadleir, the Ashmore family including nieces and nephews who know him as plain old ordinary Fred and a sister in Germany.

There will be a gathering to remember Fred at the Lions Outdoor Kitchen behind the Wasa Community Hall on Sunday July 26th from 2pm to 4pm.

Come and be prepared to tell your Fred story, with no fear of a rebuttal!

Those who wish may consider a donation to the Salvation Army.



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