Fred Bosinger
Bosinger
– Alfred “Fred” Gottlieb, 80, died Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at the Canmore
Hospital surrounded by his loving family following a brave battle with lung
cancer.
Fred
leaves behind his wife of 53 years, Margaret (Godsal) Bosinger, his son Peter
Bosinger, his daughter Anna Randell and husband Grant, daughter-in-law Janet
Carswell and husband Geoff, and grandsons Mats and Morgan. Fred was
predeceased in 2005 by his beloved son Rob and in 2008 by his granddaughter
Hayley, who are now welcoming him on his next adventure.
Born
in Zurich in 1937, Fred grew up skiing and playing hockey in Switzerland with
his brother Richi. He learned his life skills and completed his
apprenticeship in Mechanical Trades with the Swiss Army, training as a Motor
Vehicle mechanic. A keen outdoorsman and natural born leader, Fred would
forever be inextricably linked with his mountain surroundings. He
immigrated to Canada in 1963 as a lift installer for Mueller lifts and worked
in the Laurentian Mountains. The Laurentian’s is where he met his lovely
wife of English descent, Margaret, who didn’t think “he was her type” at
the time. Turned out he was. All three of their children were born
in Montreal before the family moved out to Rossland in 1971, where Fred was
hired by Red Mountain and shortly became the General Manager, during which
time it affectionately became known as “Fred Mountain.” He was
responsible for the planning and development of the Paradise Basin area, and
put all three kids into ski racing, while being a contributor to the
community. The stories and successes of the Red Mountain ski club were
legendary during this time. In 1982, Fred moved his family to Banff,
where in time he became VP of Operations and General Manager of Sunshine
Village. He was instrumental in opening Goat’s Eye Mountain, with runs
like Delirium Dive and Wild West, and helped transform Sunshine Village in the
Rocky Mountains, into a leading Alpine Ski and Snowboard Resort. His
family grew up skiing, so much so that Pete and Rob ended up skiing for the
Canadian National Team, even though he always said Anna was the best
skier. Fred and Margaret have lived in Banff since, splitting time
between Banff and Invermere, a wonderful home where many a great Swiss Day Fred
Bosinger birthday parties have been held.
Fred
loved the mountains, and stayed involved in skiing and racing long after his
kids were grown up. He was a fixture at the Canada
West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), as a chairman for the CWSAA
Competitors Pass and Race Relations Committee, and was a long-time volunteer
with the Lake Louise World Cup Winterstart. He loved his involvement with
ski racing in various capacities, from being a supporting parent all the way to
being Chief of Race at two World Cups. He will be sorely missed by the
Lake Louise Sled Dogs, a group he considered a second family. He was
never short on a good story, especially if he could recount some sort of his
mechanical heroics that may have saved Expo 67, fixed a broken ski lift in deep
freeze conditions, or started a race on time though the elements were stacked
against him. He didn’t have the patience for laziness, and his woodpile,
something he would split and stack himself, was always a model of
perfection. Fred’s idea of downtime was a big pedal on his road bike, a
trail ride on the mountain bike with his grandsons, or a few turns on the
hill. Activities were followed by a glass of wine or a nip of scotch, and
some laughs and stories. He was always game, and would usually show you
how it was done. In the summer, some leisure time by the pool would
ensue, with Fred meticulously checking the chemical balances, pumps, plumbing
and filter baskets ensuring everything was perfectly maintained. A
metaphor for how he lived his life.
Fred
was a strong, resolute, dedicated, fair, honest and kind person. He was
someone we all looked up to, a mentor to many, and someone who loved his family
and friends fiercely, as they did him. This wealth of love was priceless,
and it made Fred a very rich man. We will all miss him dearly.
The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the
nurses, doctors and staff of the amazing Canmore hospital. A place that
seems to have a heart nearly the size of Fred’s. In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made at https://www.bozocup.com/sads-donation, or you can send a cheque payable to the Rob Bosinger Memorial Trust, on behalf of Fred Bosinger, to 4373 Cheviot Road, North Vancouver, BC V7R-3T3. A celebration of
Fred’s life will be held at the Mt. Norquay Day Lodge in Banff, Alberta on Monday
January 15, 2018 beginning at 4 pm, service to start at 5pm.
