December 13, 1929 – October 23, 2016
Rudolph Hildebrand passed away peacefully on Sunday afternoon on October 23, 2016 at Holmberg House Hospice in Abbotsford, at the age of 86. Rudy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in mid August. He lived his final few months surrounded often by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren till his final journey to heaven to be with his wife Elisabeth, who had passed of lung cancer at the age of 88, only 12 weeks before him. Rudy was born in the village of Steinfeld in the Ukraine in 1929. It was during World War II in 1943 that the Hildebrand family had to flee their homeland and ended up as refugees in war torn Germany. After the war the family made an application to immigrate to Canada where they had relatives. Before their departure to Canada in December of 1949, Rudy had gone to trade school and graduated as a journeyman carpenter at the age of 20. The Hildebrand family arrived in Canada at the Halifax harbour, in Nova Scotia on Christmas Eve in 1949. They made a home on Vancouver Island in the Comox Valley. Rudy’s girlfriend, Elisabeth whom he had met and dated in Germany after the war had moved to Vancouver a year before he arrived in Canada. After many visits to Vancouver via the CP Ferry, they were married on April 26, 1952 in Vancouver. They bought a house in Vancouver and raised their family there. Rudy worked as a carpenter for the trades union till 1967. It was at that time he decided to become a contractor and build houses in Vancouver under the name Hildebrand Construction, which he did very successfully until his retirement in 1985. Rudy and Elisabeth raised five children in Vancouver, Ruth nee Vohora, Daniel (Danny), Cornelius (Klaus), Elfriede (Frieda) nee Brooks and Ralph. They spent much of their retirement at their trailer in Harrison Hot Springs where they enjoyed many walks and quiet times. In 2001 they sold their home in Vancouver and moved to Abbotsford into a condominium on the 14th floor at Garden Park Towers. They spent many hours enjoying coffee and the view of Mount Baker and the Fraser Valley. They were blessed not only with 5 children and their spouses but also blessed with 14 grandchildren. Opa and Oma were much loved by their family. Rudy and Elisabeth were faithful supporters of their church in Vancouver; First United Mennonite and later on Ebenezer Mennonite in Abbotsford. Later in life they were blessed again with 5 great grandchildren whom they also loved dearly. Rudy was predeceased by his younger brother Wilhelm in 1980 and as mentioned earlier the love of his life Elisabeth on July 31 of this year. The family would like to thank the staff at Holmberg House Hospice in Abbotsford for their care and dedication they gave to Rudy during his four week stay at the hospice. Our family will miss Oma and Opa dearly and are comforted by knowing that they are both with the Lord in Heaven. We would also like to thank all the people who attended our father’s memorial on November 2nd, 2016 at Ebenezer Mennonite Church.