Obituary of Ralph Westfall

It has pleased Almighty God to take to Himself the soul of Ralph John Westfall, who died peacefully at St Mary's General Hospital on Thursday, November 28, 2013, aged 93 years. He was born in Kitchener on August 22, 1920, the only son of Leander Westfall and Alvina née Israel. He was dearly loved and will always be remembered by Hazel née Schreiter, his wife for more than 69 years; and by his children, David Westfall and Sandy (Jamie) Hill; by his grandchildren, Christopher (Kristin) Hill, Jono (Roxann) Hill, and Kate (Andrew) Veitch; and by his six great-grandchildren; by his sister-in-law, Peggy Ferguson; and by his Nephew and his five Nieces, and their families. Ralph was a life-long member of Historic St Paul's Lutheran Church, and served in several different capacities throughout the years, including Sunday School teacher, Member of the Church Council, and Congregational Chairman. He was Chairman of the Building Committee during construction of the new narthex. He volunteered for active service "for King and Country" during World War II, enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was stationed at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and at Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador; and he attained the rank of Corporal. Ralph's career with Erb and Erb Insurance Brokers Ltd spanned forty years, including over a decade-and-a-half as the firm's managing partner and as President. Under his leadership, the firm grew tenfold. He acted always with honour and integrity, and held himself to a very high standard for personal advice and excellent service to clients. He was a former President and an Honourary Life Member of the Insurance Brokers' Association of Waterloo Region, and an Honourary Life Member of the Insurance Brokers' Association of Ontario. He was an expert in Commercial General Liability; and for many years, he chaired a committee which provided insurance advice to the City of Kitchener. Ralph had a long association with the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA, including participation in the Y's Men's Club and serving for several years as Chairman of the Camping Committee; and he was a recipient of the K-W YMCA's Meritorious Service Award. He was a gardener and an enthusiastic planter of trees (especially at the farm at St Agatha), an awesome bridge player, a sailor and an avid fisherman (especially at the cottage on the French River), a champion shuffleboard player (during winters spent at Landmark Estates, in Naples, Florida), a frequent and always-gracious host, and a quiet philanthropist. Cremation has taken place, as he wished. A Memorial Service will be held at Historic St Paul's Lutheran Church, 137 Queen Street South, Kitchener, on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev Dr. Roger Winger, Pastor Emeritus of Historic St Paul's, officiating. Family visitation will be at the Church, in the hour preceding the service; and a reception will follow the service. Burial will be in the family plot at Memory Gardens, Breslau. In lieu of flowers, donations to honour Ralph's memory may be made to Historic St Paul's Lutheran Church, or to The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (designated for the Westfall and Hill Family Fund), or to a charity of your choice; and may be arranged by calling Erb & Good Family Funeral Home at (519) 745-8445 or www.erbgood.com. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ~ Psalm 73:26