Sepp Walzl, 94, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2021 at Bastion Place, Salmon Arm, BC.
Sepp is survived by his children, Angela (Simon) of Salmon Arm, BC, David of Kingston, Ont., and Jamie (Heather) of Pemberton, BC and his grandsons, Morgan, Matthew, and Addison. He is predeceased by his wife, Edith.
Sepp was born in St Leonhard, Italy, February 19, 1927. He was orphaned at a young age and in his early teens made his way across the alps to Obergurgl, Austria. Under the mentorship of Hans Faulkner, a pioneer of ski instruction both in Obergurgl and in the Laurentians, Sepp came to Canada.
As a young man Sepp worked many jobs, including cutting Nordic ski trails with Herman "Jackrabbit" Johansen. Skiing was his passion, and his dedication was evident as the ski school director of the Ste Agathe Ski School.
As a ski instructor, he met his soon to be wife, Edith, who was on a ski holiday from New York. They were married October 03,1964. Sepp and Edie moved to Kingston, Ontario in 1972 and opened Sepp's Ski Shop, where Sepp worked until he moved to Salmon Arm, BC in 2010.
Sepp was an exceptionally hard worker, always encouraging us to 'take the bull by the horns'. He genuinely enjoyed working at the ski shop and took great pleasure in all the connections he made with his dedicated staff and loyal customers over the years.
There were many a Saturday night when Mom was calling the store and he was selling that one more pair of skis. After a long week of work Sepp would often drive hours on a Sunday morning to take the family skiing at the not-so-local ski hills in northern New York state and eastern Ontario.
In his leisure time Sepp enjoyed gardening and walking the trails at Lemoine's Point. He especially enjoyed the summers spent at our cottage on Burridge Lake; walking around the lake in the early mornings and lounging on the deck in the evenings.
In retirement Sepp was able to spend more time skiing and enjoyed many trips to Silver Star. He last skied at the age of 86. All three of his grandchildren were fortunate to have been able to ski with Grandpa.
Sepp was a quiet, patient and kind man. He was enormously proud of his grandsons and his gentle soul will be a legacy they will remember. He will be deeply missed. We have been blessed to have had him in our lives.
The family would like to thank Dr Aitchison, the staff at Bastion, Ria at Ackerview Guesthouse and Gloria for the resounding support and care of both Sepp and our family. We are truly grateful.
Online condolences may be sent to Sepp's family through his obituary at www.bowersfuneralservice.com
Bowers Funeral Home and Crematorium
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