It is with great sadness that the family of Mr. Abram Buhr announces his passing after a long and courageous battle with cancer on January 5th, 2021 at the age of 86. Abe passed away peacefully at Victoria Hospice in Victoria, BC and was predeceased by his wife Barbara, on April 10th, 2020, after 56 years of loving devotion.
Abe was born on Nov 5th, 1934 in St. Elizabeth, Manitoba. He worked the family farm until he was old enough to join his older brothers clearing bush for hydro lines. He then found employment with the PFRA in Portage La Prairie, MB and then near North Battleford, SK where he met and fell in love with Barbara Derksen. The couple married and moved to Winnipeg in 1964, starting their family soon after. Abe worked for his brother-in-law and for Surge Dairy Equipment in Winnipeg while he completed night school so he could pass his High School Equivalency Test, which he put to good use designing milking parlours and waste management systems. In 1974, Abe and Barb moved the family to Brandon, MB where they thrived for the next 40 years while raising their children to adulthood and participating in the growth of Faith Fellowship Baptist Church. Abe enjoyed supporting the FFBC members as deacon, trustee and Awana leader, and the many social occasions and mission events were rich conditions for their deep and abiding friendships to grow. Abe bought a delivery service in 1990 but sold the business 5 years later after winning a battle with prostate cancer. With a new outlook on life, Abe decided to fulfill a lifelong dream to get back on the land and farmed several small acreages around Alexander, MB. Never one to retire completely, Abe continued buying and selling dairy equipment right up until he sold his 1000th bulk tank at the age of 80. In 2013, Barb was diagnosed with PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) and with increased health care needs, they moved to Courtenay, BC to be closer to their two daughters.
In their final years together, Abe became an extraordinary caregiver, working tirelessly to make Barb’s days as comfortable as possible. His constant good humour and abiding faith, gave him the steel and spring he demonstrated right until the very end. He never stopped working, he never stopped caring, he never stopped praising God, and he definitely never stopped cracking jokes, until his body finally succumbed to the cancer that had returned in 2019, and he went home to be with the Lord shortly after the New Year.
Abe is survived by his children and grandchildren: Valerie (Les); James (Mia), Raina and Jaxon; Pamela; Mark (Huong); Jasper and Solomon; Dennis (Rachel); Ben and Samuel. Abe leaves behind his siblings Ed, Agnes, Kathleen and Henry, along with many beloved nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his older siblings Bill, Dorothy, John, Paul, and Ben, and by his younger siblings David and Lydia.
The family wishes to thank the kind and knowledgeable nurses and staff at Community Care in Comox Valley and Victoria, CVSV, and Victoria Hospice as well as Dr. Howard, and specialists Dr. Livergant and Dr. Mangoo.
To commemorate Abe’s life, the family asks that you break the ice with a complete stranger by telling a joke. The world needs so much more of that spirit.