Ron Schreiber
Ronald Wayne (Ron) Schreiber
August 25, 1956 - September 3, 2021
Unwavering in his commitment to his faith, family, and friends, Ron Schreiber passed away peacefully on September 3rd, 2021 with his family by his side.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1956 to Leo and Victoria Schreiber, Ron was raised on Royal Canadian Air Force bases with his three siblings. Ron was a walking encyclopedia and excelled in his schoolwork, graduating with a degree in Microbiology from the University of Calgary when he was just 20. Following university, Ron attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and received training as a Telecommunications Technician.
Remarkably, Ron spent 46 years with AGT/Telus across southern Alberta. Ron loved his job, especially working cable repair. He loved getting into his work truck and completing challenging jobs. Ron always took the backroads for an added adventure and to expand his fountain of knowledge. On his retirement and 65th birthday, just a week before he passed, Ron was personally made a Telus Legend by the company.
One of the biggest champions of Catholic Education in the Province, Ron served as a School Board Trustee for nearly three decades, first with the Assumption Roman Catholic School Division and as Board Chair of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools. In his service to Catholic Education, Ron was faithful, intelligent, humble, kind, and virtuous.
Late in the evenings, after reading stories to the kids and drafting board reports, you could find Ron in the kitchen with his guitar. Late night Flamenco guitar solos and church hymns for Sunday were familiar sounds that brought comfort to everyone in the house. Ron served on the music ministry at St. James Catholic Church for decades, and forged strong friendships as well as fostered a true calling to serve the Church and community.
Ron’s dedication to providing service to others was instilled in him by the hospitality shown by his mother. His warm smile and friendly approach captivated his family, friends, and even strangers. Ron was immune to many of the draws of the material world. His lifestyle was led by intense faith in God and the desire to try to be his best everyday. This is a faith he shared with his wife, and together they were able to lay the foundations for a close knit, loving family and extended family.
Ron expressed his strong love and admiration for his wife, Maureen, describing her as his strength in faith and commitment. They found so much joy in providing a steady home base for their family. They shared a love of road trips and day trips meant for exploration, following the mantra of “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. They planned to travel more in Ron’s retirement, as they so enjoyed their trips to Churchill, Powell River, and the Maritimes together.
Ron is survived by his amazing children Sara (Sylvain) Bourgault, Colleen (David) Leinster, Simon (Laura Schultz) Schreiber, Aaron (Daneill) Schreiber, Peter (Hailey) Schreiber, Joseph (Kait Lefaivre) Schreiber, Molly (Michael) Metcalf, Teresa Schreiber, and Curtis (Tracy) Jackson. In his later years, Ron was known to all of us as “Pops”, grandfather extraordinaire! He has forever made an indelible and lasting impression on all of his twenty grandchildren – Wayne, Hank, Rose, Redmond, Quinn, Jude, Matilda, Nina, Hugo, Lev, Alina, James, Bea, Evelyn, Gabriel, Caylem, Noah, Caete, Hannah, and Amelia. Ron is predeceased by his parents, Leo and Victoria Schreiber, and he is survived by his siblings Shirley, Vernon (Angela), and Darrell (Jodi) and families. Ron was also an important part of the lives of Elaine (Lynn), Sean (Cheryl), Kevin (Marie), Erin and his many nieces and nephews who loved him so much.
Whether it was telling a story to his kids or grandkids, taking a road trip, or travelling the open road with work, to Ron, it was never about the destination, always the journey. Life has been a journey for Ron, one he has honoured in so many ways, especially in his dedication to faith and family, service to others, and laughter with loved ones. Now that his journey has come to an end we have faith that he is at his desired heavenly destination and at peace with God. He will be greatly missed by many, though we are comforted by the example he has left for us and the countless beautiful memories we share.
A funeral mass was held Saturday, September 11, 2021 in Okotoks. The family appreciates the many people who donated blood that supported Ron throughout his battle with Leukemia. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating blood or make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada at llscanada.org or Canada Blood Services at blood.ca.