June 2002 - Nr. 6
Headline
by Herwig Wandschneider
Heinz A. Lenzer
Nov 13, 1919 – February 19, 2002
With
the Wiener Weise "Sag beim Abschied leise Servus …" on everyone’s mind, more
than two hundred family, friends of the Concordia Choir, and colleagues said
Good-Bye to long-time friend, Concordia Club and Choir member Heinz Lenzer
in March. The "Service to Remember and Celebrate his Life" and reception was
held at Concordia Club’s Halle, all in accordance with his wishes.
The Farewell was a little unconventional, but then, in the words of his friend and fellow choir member Bob Huschka, Heinz Lenzer was not a conventional person.
Born in 1919 in Essen, Germany, he at first pursued a career as Industrial Accountant, but after the turmoils of WWII changed his career to become a police detective. In 1953 he immigrated to Canada with his wife Irmgard and daughter Karin and settled in Guelph, where he joined and grew with Hammond Mfg to retire in 1983 as department head. Through all the years of fighting a painful illness for which there was no cure, he travelled from Arctic to Antarctic, from the Americas to Africa and Asia. And he never lost his wicked humour.
In 1960 he joined the Concordia Male Choir, and soon dedicated himself not only to the Choir, but to the entire Club. He motivated everyone he came in contact with. He started his service on the Choir’s Executive as Secretary in 1964, and worked tirelessly together with Horst Beyerle and others on the complex tasks of the countless travel arrangements and engagements of the travelling Concordia Choirs, as well as the guest choirs visiting here.
He involved himself early-on in the development of the Farm property, and specifically the Children’s Paradise (Kinderparadies - the farm’s playground) and the swimming pool, which was completed in 1966.
And he was the one, who created Account "X" in 1974, which essentially salvaged the club when interest payments exceeded Club income after the "great fire" of 1972 and 100-year Anniversary expenditures. He was instrumental in implementing extensive saving measures and motivated first the Choir Members and then the entire Membership to donate funds or time to save money and decrease the Mortgage. Eventually his Account "X" is what paid off the Mortgage and other interim financing needs in several hard-working years.
And with the same enthusiasm as he dedicated himself to all his work, he also sat on the Board of the "Seniorenhaus", opened in 1984, which he considered as one of his biggest and proudest contributions.
As a result of his many years of indispensible service, he became honorary member of the Club. The German-Canadian Congress honoured him with a citation for his outstanding work for the German-Canadian Community. In 1993 he received the Ernst Wuertele Trophy as singer of the year. And the "Deutsch-Kanadischer Sängerbund" – DKSB – (German-Canadian Choir Association) honoured him on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of singing.
Danuta Grigaitis, speaking on behalf of herself and all his friends in the Choir and the Club, said "Servus" with the Words:
Er ruht in seel’ger
Ewigkeit
Von Liebe und Frieden umgeben,
Er schenkt allen Lieben, die er berührt
Ein Herz das ewig will leben.
