On Dec. 22, the community of Bonnyville lost two prominent and generous citizens. Robert and Gisele Kleinmann died in a two-vehicle collision on Hwy. 881 south of Fort McMurray on their way to spend time with family for Christmas.
The couple were well known for their volunteer spirit and community involvement.
“They took this community to heart…and they gave back way more than they took from it,” said Brian McEvoy, Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority Chief.
The prayer service for the couple was held Dec. 29 at the St. Louis Roman Catholic Church. The next day the funeral was held at the Centennial Centre.
Reading the eulogy for Gisele was MLA Genia Leskiw, who said the service was a celebration of Robert and Gisele's lives. “It was a beautiful service.”
Both Robert, 66, and Gisele, 59, were teachers in the community for many years. Bob, as he was better known, was also a volunteer firefighter for 38 years. In an interview with the Nouvelle in June 2010, Bob reflected on his years of service with the local fire department indicating that it was a chance to give back to the community, which had welcomed him after he moved here from Wales. “If you're going to be a firefighter you need to commit as much as you can to answering the call at anytime,” Bob said in the interview.
Bob began volunteering with the Bonnyville Fire Department in 1972 and later became fire chief at the station. Many of those who volunteered with Bob called him a calming influence and an experienced asset for the station and the community. McEvoy described Bob as a “dedicated fire chief who offered mentorship and guidance when needed.”
Darcy Reynolds eulogized his long-time friend, describing Bob as “a wonderful husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, son-in-law, a teasing uncle, a wise colleague, a great coach, committee member, community leader, and for many of us, a true and loyal friend.”
Reynolds spoke of Bob as having been “a true community leader who led by example – not title – and this community is truly blessed for all that he has done, over the years, to make Bonnyville a better place.”
Reynolds said the biggest life lesson that Bob “taught us all” was the importance of family. “The pride in his eyes whenever he talked about the kids was unmistakable and that trademark twinkle in his eye became even brighter when any mention of the grandkids was made.”
In closing, Reynolds said, “I believe we can best honour Bob's memory by simply striving to be more like him – to focus on our families, to unselfishly give back to our communities, to take care of ourselves and each other, and to make the most of the time that we have here.”
“Community life and giving back to the community was the essence of their being,” Leskiw said of the couple.
During the eulogy, Leskiw called Gisele a beautiful woman, whose “beauty ran more than skin deep. It was her internal beauty that made Gisele the person we all knew and loved.”
Gisele, raised on a farm one mile north of Bonnyville, graduated from Notre Dame High School before pursuing a career in education. She returned to teach at the school she graduated from, which is where she met her husband Bob. They eventually had three children, and their family grew to include six grandchildren.
“One of her greatest gifts that Gisele was given by God was her ability to teach and inspire children to learn. She was an example of what a teacher should be like. She practiced what she preached. Everyday was a new beginning that should be approached with love and a smile. Everyone wanted to be in Madam Kleinmann's class,” Leskiw said of her long-time friend.
Gisele was a member of the Catholic Women's League, Tangles Threads Quilt Guild, an organizer of the French mass readings at St. Louis Parish and a volunteer at the hospital auxiliary.
Leskiw told the Nouvelle Gisele and Bob always found time to help anybody who needed it.
“They were such a strong force in the community,” explained Leskiw. “But they did not need to be recognized for it, they were just happy to lend a helping hand wherever one was needed.”
The couple touched so many lives in their time in Bonnyville, Leskiw said, adding the spirit of Bob will live on in the fire department and the spirit of Gisele will live on in the halls of Notre Dame.