Obituary of Leslie Stolzenberger

Leslie Stolzenberger of Calgary passed away on Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at the age of 89 years. Leslie was born in Szombathely, Hungary and followed his fathers’ and grandfathers’ (Captain of the Palace Guard) military tradition and graduated from a prestigious Officers Academy. Having lost his entire family and land holdings to WWII, he worked for the Red Cross and ended up in France where, as a chauffeur, he met and married Klara Gyurko and fathered a daughter, Klarica and son, Lacika. Fearing another war with the Russians in Europe he brought his wife and children to Canada in 1952 and settled down in Calgary. Overcoming cultural shock, a new language (he also spoke French, Russian, German, as well as his native tongue.) and the loss of his daughter to polio, Leslie managed to work his way up from a painter to owning Cam-Dec, one of the largest painting companies in Calgary. He quickly gained a reputation among friends and strangers for his generosity and irresistible European charm and with the ever present twinkle in his eyes he so enjoyed to see the pleasure in others. At age 89 that twinkle finally blinked out in his sleep. Leslie is survived by his wife Klara and son Leslie Jr. (Loraine) A Celebration of Leslies’ Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North) on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 200, 119 – 14th Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 Telephone: (403) 264-5549, www.heartandstroke.ca. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Leslie Stolzenberger, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH Telephone: (403) 276-2296.