Obituary of Ortwin Kays
To participate in the livestream or view the recording of Ortwin's service, please click here
Passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, January 2, 2021 at the age of 58 years.
Survived by his loving wife of 23 years, Sue Zimmer-Kays, his daughter Holly (Jimmy) Martin and their children Macy and Jack, brother Dieter (Rosalind) Kays, sister Gudrun Mirandola, nieces and their families Angela Burden, Heidi (Jonathan) Clay, Jennifer (Jeffrey) Sommer, Maria Mirandola, brother-in-law Jim (Gina) Zimmer, sister-in-law Donna Zimmer and mother-in-law Catherine Zimmer, also survived by an uncle, four aunts, and many cousins in Germany.
Predeceased by his parents Ernest and Martha Kays, father-in-law Joe Zimmer and brothers-in-law David Zimmer and Ken Zimmer.
Ort grew up in Ottawa and very early showed great promise as a hockey player, being drafted by the Ottawa Siskins at the age of 16. For a period in the 1980’s he was a key player with the Wellesley Junior hockey team. He would regularly impress his nieces and friends with his skills in pick up hockey. He was a Montreal Canadiens fan but would also root for the Ottawa Senators. A carpenter by trade, he was known for his skill and attention to detail. He enjoyed the outdoors, particularly hunting, fishing, and spending time with his dog and cat. In his latter years he struggled with health issues but continued to find time to help Sue in her catering activities, help out elderly neighbours, and along with Sue, volunteered regularly for the K W Humane Society.
Special thanks to Dr. Bodkin and his staff and the kind people at Belmont Pharmacy. Dr. Brown and his crew at the Interventional Pain Specialists also gave Ort a better quality of life with their compassionate care.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, to attend the visitation and service for Ortwin, personal face coverings are required and relatives and friends must register (RSVP) by calling the funeral home. Visitation will be held at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Sunday, January 10, 2021 from 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm. A private family service will be held in the chapel of the funeral home at 3:30 pm. Rev. Dieter Kays will be officiating.
A livestream and recording of the service will be available at www.erbgood.com by selecting Ortwin’s obituary. Cremation will have taken place.
In lieu of flowers, condolences for the family and donations to the K-W Humane Society may be arranged by contacting the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.