On May 5, 2022, Willy Reinhardt, 89, peacefully departed for his eternal home, surrounded by his loved ones and accompanied by song and prayer. He is survived by his wife Sigrid, daughter Monika (Allan) Jarvine with their children Adina, Caleb and Emily, his son Edmund (Bethany) Reinhardt and their children Josiah, Noah, Elijah and Johanna. Survived by his sister-in-law Barbara Reinhardt, he will also be remembered by his 22 dear nieces and nephews.
Born in 1932 in Mramorak, Yugoslavia to Filip and Eva Reinhardt as the youngest of 8 children, Willy's idyllic childhood came to an abrupt end with the beginning of WW2. His father and brother were taken and executed in retribution for a partisan that was killed. After the war, he spent 3 years in concentration camp with his mother. Once they were released, they joined his brother Peter in Slovenia where his mother passed away. Willy started an electrical apprenticeship there. He was involved in his sister Eva family’s escape through the Alps which ended in a jail sentence for Willy. Being unemployable after his release, he made his way to Austria as a refugee.
After nine months in Salzburg, he emigrated to Canada with his sister Eva and her family. He lived with his aunt and uncle Christian Ritzmann in Windsor for another nine months. For employment reasons, he moved to Toronto where he found a job at Phillips Electronics. He married Sigrid Mueller on October 3rd 1959 and welcomed the birth of their daughter Monika the following year. 47 Farmbrook Rd, Scarborough became their home in 1963 when he started working at General Motors in Oshawa. Edmund completed the family of four in 1965.
Willy and Sigrid were both baptized in 1967 in the Apostolic Christian Church Nazarene, where Willy would then be called to serve the small congregation on Weston Road as a minister in 1973.
Willy showed his devotion to His Lord and Saviour in his unwavering humble service to his beloved church for over 54 years. As a gentle, loving father figure, he was cherished by so many of us who were very blessed to have had him in our lives.
May we never forget his testimony.