Obituary of Erich Karl Bruno Kunzel

August 17, 1927 - Templehof, Germany

June 3, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Erich Kunzel, beloved husband of Norma Kunzel (nee Riehl) of Calgary, AB, passed away on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the age of 95 years.

As a young cadet in Germany, he trained to fly glider planes and later learned the trade of farming and horse husbandry.  Erich immigrated to Canada in 1951 by a ship that landed in Quebec City and a train to Regina, Saskatchewan.  With no English and a job on the extra gang with CPR, he applied his strong work ethic and quickly paid his debts to the Canadian Government. Erich worked as a carpenter and miner and married Norma in 1958 in Edmonton, Alberta. They welcomed, two daughters, Sandra and Shelley to the family. 

Within 10 years he became a Canadian Citizen and attended SAIT.  He graduated with a degree in Radio Communications in 1963 and became a Radio Inspector with the Department of Communications, working his way up to Supervisor, before retiring after 22 years. His fondest memory of work was the 1988 Winter Olympics where his role was assigning radio frequencies to the countries and teams that came to compete.  He was proud to be a Canadian and was loyal to his adopted country.

One of his loves was German Shepherd Dogs and training them. He was a founding member of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Calgary and later became an accredited Tracking Trial Judge, writing a “How to Track” training manual.  He taught many people the nuances of tracking and some of those people went on to train other dogs and people.  Erich’s knowledge lives on, passed on by a generous man who was happy to share his hard-earned knowledge with anyone who asked.

When computers began to appear in the office, Erich was an early adopter of the technology and was determined to master the skills needed to excel. He was self taught and become proficient on the keyboard, eventually combining his love of photography with photo manipulation to create whimsical pictures. Editions of the Dalsby Digest or the annual family Christmas card, hot off the press of Erich’s printer, was always a treat, enjoyed by many.

Erich accomplished much through his life but was particularly proud of the achievements of his daughters and wife, offering guidance and support.  Through hard work and his talent for repairing and building stuff, he provided a good life and comfortable home for his family.  He taught his children life skills, allowed them to fly on their own and pick them up when knees got skinned.

In his later years, Erich spent more time at home however he continued to stay in contact with friends, local and abroad over the decades.  His circle of friends was small, but he valued these friendships greatly.

He is survived by his wife, Norma Kunzel and daughter Sandra Kunzel, son-in-law John McWhae of Calgary and son-in-law Garney Baker of Canmore. Erich was predeceased by daughter Shelley Kunzel, sister Elfrun Jurschke and parents, Selma and Bruno Steinhauer.

A Gathering will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street N, Calgary, AB T2E 2V6) on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Condolences, memories, and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Erich Kunzel, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes.