Albert Jacob Willms passed into the presence of His Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Monday, January 30, 2012 with his family at his side. Al was born to Abram and Maria (Unger) Willms on August 21, 1935 on the family farm near Kelstern, Saskatchewan. Al loved the wide open prairie but after many discouraging crop failures his family decided to move to Surrey BC when Al was 12 years old. He soon became acclimatized to the situation and by the time he graduated from Princess Margaret High School he had been active in all the sports programs. He pursued teaching as a career spending many happy years among young students as a classroom teacher, a band instructor and also as a principal in the Delta School District. Al married Alice Sawatzky and together they raised their family in Surrey later moving to Abbotsford to spend some time growing raspberries. Al never lost his love to work with young people and so in time he found himself at Trinity Western University working as the Director of Financial awards, developing many wonderful friendships. In his retirement years Al gained a lot of satisfaction and pleasure in interacting with his children and grandchildren, woodworking and singing baritone in the Watchmen Four quartet. Al loved the Lord and worked in the church in various capacities spending nearly twenty years as a choir conductor at Kennedy Heights Church in Delta while living there and in more recent years with the seniors at Northview. We will miss "Big Al" as he was affectionately known to many. His kind, loving ways, quick wit and easy laughter had an impact on many. We will miss him so much but we cherish the memories and the knowledge that to be 'absent from the body is to be present with the Lord'. Al is survived by his loving wife, Alice, his children Colin (Melody), Jennifer (Carlton Haak) and Andrew (Dana) along with his seven grandchildren, Nathan and Megan Willms, Jared and Daniel Haak and Eva, Micah and Joshua Willms, three sisters Mary Voth, Olga Willms and Linda Willms, as well as many dear relatives and friends. Al was predeceased by his parents, two brothers, Abe and Henry, and one sister Helen Priebe. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 5 from 6 - 8 pm at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 2310 Clearbrook Rd. Abbotsford. A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, February 6 at 11:00 am at Northview Community Church, 32040 Downes Rd, Abbotsford. In lieu of flowers donations to Open Doors with Brother Andrew Inc. at: www.opendoorsca.org would be gratefully appreciated. Online condolences may be left at:
www.woodlawnfh-abbotsford.com.
Woodlawn Funeral Home 604-853-2643