Henry Froese

In Memory of Henry Froese

Henry Froese was born July 8, 1935, in Schoeneberg, Russia, now Ukraine. He passed away at home in Winnipeg on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the age of 90 years, with his wife at his side.

He is survived by his loving wife Judy, her brothers and their families, and many cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, Heinrich Johann and Maria (nee Enns) Froese, and many aunts and uncles.

The memorial service for Henry Froese will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Grant Memorial Church, 877 Wilkes Ave, near Waverley Street.

Henry was a kind and gentle person who was always willing to help. He was dependable and generous. He enjoyed relating to people and chose to do voluntary work accordingly. Henry’s faith in Jesus Christ was vitally important to him. It gave him joy and fulfillment to attend church, study the Bible and serve where possible. It gave him confidence that someday, upon his physical death, he would see Jesus, his Lord and Saviour, in paradise. He met that goal a few days ago.

During World War II, Henry, his mother and other relatives fled from Russia, taking the ship Volendam to South America and then travelling to Paraguay. Their desire, however, was to come to Canada, where some relatives had settled, but the doors to Canada were closed at that time. Three years later, they came to Canada and settled in Manitoba.

Henry lived as a single eligible bachelor for many years. He was looking for certain qualities in a woman that were not readily found. He was eventually attracted to Judy, and as he got to know her over many months, he was convinced that she was the one. She held most of the same beliefs and values that he held. She agreed, and they were married in 1989 to enjoy more than 36 years together. Both enjoyed travelling and excursions on cruises. He recommended going on cruises and should have been on their payroll for his promotion. It was also special to be able to serve God together in many ways.

Henry was employed by Safeway for many years, including as assistant manager position. Later, when some surgery limited his ability to lift and move heavy boxes, he needed to decide on another career. He then enrolled in an accounting course at Red River College. After completing the course, he worked with a construction company to do their bookkeeping. Later, he was employed at Allmar Distributors until his retirement.

Henry thrived in retirement as he enjoyed relating to people. He volunteered as security with the Pan Am Games in 1999. He did visitation at Meadowood Manor relating to men who had no or few visitors. He enjoyed delivering meals for Meals on Wheels for many years and participated in the International Student Ministries. At church, he often served by singing in the choir or as an usher or host.

One of his favourite volunteer experiences was with the Billy Graham Telephone Ministry. Billy Graham's crusades were shown on TV, and volunteers were needed on the phones to explain what Jesus had done for us in dying on the cross and rising from the grave. He would pray with them and help them commit their lives to Jesus, the Son of God. Henry and his wife Judy would serve in this way for more than twenty years.

Henry lived a rich and fulfilling life and blessed many people.