Alexander Edmund Gutfriend, passed away December 10, 2020 at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital at the age of 85 years. Alex was born April 17, 1935 on the family homestead in Josephstal, Saskatchewan, just outside of Leader. In 1940, they moved to a farm southeast of Liebenthal, Saskatchewan where he started school. In 1947, the family moved to Medicine Hat where he continued his education at St. Louis school and Theresa’s Academy followed by a business course at Garbutt Business College. He began his working career in 1954 with the Deptartment of Agriculture Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) at Vauxhall, Alberta. Alex is survived by his loving wife, Edith his three children, daughters Bonnie Foster and her family, Ashley (John) Ramsay and Gwendaelyn, Jordan (Shantelle) Foster and Isaac, Jarrett (Chelsie) Foster and Jaycey; Kellie (Ralph) Lombardo and their family, Nicole (Blake) Schumack and their children Romeo and Andre, Amanda (Dan) Armstrong and Milo, Jessica (Matt) Chawrun and Jaxson, and Christina Lombardo; Perrie Fauth and her family, Angela Pegoraro, Houston Fauth, Keller Fauth and Cassandra Fauth; his stepsons, Bruce (Stacey) Bowdridge and Megan Bowdridge and her son Liam; Anderson (Linda) Bowdridge-Gutfriend and his family, Jennifer Gutfriend, Felicia (Mike) Jesperson and their children Faith and Marshall; Haley Hurst; Stephen’s son, Ryan (Sarah) Bowdridge and their children Rehanna, Kadince and Layne. He is also survived by his sister Betty Macdonald and her family, his sisters-in-law Alma Gutfriend and her family, Evelyn (Ken) Moir and her family as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Alex was predeceased by his parents Matt and Rachel (Kurtz) Gutfriend and his in-laws William and Viola MacDonald; his brother Michael Gutfriend and Michael’s daughter Michelle Van Bevern; his sister Katherine (Tony) lbach; his brothers-in-law, Gordon Macdonald and William MacDonald; his stepson Stephen Bowdridge and his son-in-law Brian Fauth. In 1955, he married Viola Lehr (his first wife) and their daughter Bonnie was born in Vauxhall. He subsequently moved to Regina with the Land Use Directorate (Community Pastures); his second daughter Kellie was born there. In1964, he returned to Vauxhall as Project Administrator, where their third daughter Perrie was born. In 1968, he transferred to Calgary as the District Administrator with the Department of Energy Mines and Resources, Inland Water Directorate. In 1969, he transferred to the Canadian Hydrographic service of the same department in Victoria, BC. In 1972, he transferred to the Department of Environment, Canadian Forestry Service in Fredericton, New Brunswick as the Regional Administrator. In December of 1974, he married Edith Bowdridge (nee MacDonald). She brought with her three children from a previous marriage, Stephen, Bruce and Andy. In 1975, he transferred to Environmental Management Services of the Department of Environment in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Director of Administration for the Atlantic provinces. In 1979, he transferred with the same department to Environmental Protection Services in Edmonton, as the Director of Planning Finance and Administration. In April 1983, he transferred to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in Vancouver, BC as Chief of Contracts and Administration. In 1990, he retired. He gave the government 37 years of service. During the summer of 1990, we explored the BC region and bought a rundown RV park in Pritchard, B.C. We worked very hard to restore it and enjoyed that very different lifestyle for five years. In 1994, we decided to retire again, so we sold the RV park and moved to Medicine Hat. We supervised the building of our house and in 1995 decided to go back to work again. We bought an RV Sales and Service business and ran it for three years before retiring again. Over the years, he participated in a variety of activities, and was a member of many community and service organizations. He has bowled and curled (almost represented Alberta in the Brier in the early 60’s) and was an avid golfer for many years. We owned a 32 foot cabin cruiser when we lived in the Maritimes and had many interesting experiences during that time, not the least of which was touring our relatives around the eastern provinces when they came to visit. We had been lifelong RV’ers and he belonged to a number of organizations supporting camping life. He was the National Director for the local chapter of Family Motorcoach Association (FMCA) and as a result traveled extensively throughout Canada and the USA. He was President of the Golden Sheaf Park Board of Directors for five years. We made the trip to Calgary, Kamloops, Vancouver and Seattle to see all our kids a couple times a year. We have been to Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. We spent many winters in Casa Grande, Arizona and had a pleasant adventure on a Panama Canal cruise. He loved retelling stories of unusual incidents that happened during our travels (tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and hurricanes). Our children often teased him when they read of some disaster or strange weather and said, “Our dad must be there”. He enjoyed lively debates on issues and liked to help family and friends resolve problems withcentral or government agencies. Two big events in recent years were our 25th wedding anniversary in July of 1999 when we renewed our vows at St. Patrick’s Church and the wonderful gathering of our relatives at the family reunion in 2001. In 2015, another celebration was our 40th wedding anniversary and Alex’s 80th birthday held in Medicine Hat. In recent years Alex struggled with a great many health problems, however he put up a good battle. He will be greatly missed by friends and relatives. The funeral mass will be celebrated in St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with Fr. Roque Pereira Celebrant. Family and friends are invited to remotely attend the funeral service by going to the Pattison Funeral Home facebook page. Live streaming will begin at service time. Interment will follow in the Hillside Cemetery. To e-mail an expression of sympathy, please direct it to: office@pattisonfuneralhome.com subject heading: Alex Gutfriend, or you may visit www.pattisonfuneralhome.com and leave a message of condolence.

• Date : 2020-12-10
• Location : Medicine Hat, Alberta

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