Town says farewell to community icon

Every time Anna Craciun looks at the crooked finger on her right hand she thinks of her big brother Willi with fondness.

Willi was fond of pranks and practical jokes and targeted his younger sister several times over the years, including a bee-bee gun incident that left her with that crooked finger.

The natural prankster left a void in Anna’s heart, as well as many in Black Diamond and Turner Valley, when he died in his home on March 9.

He was 68.

“Willi had a heart as big as Turner Valley and Black Diamond,” said Anna. “I remember when he left home I cried. I didn’t want him to go.”

Anna said their mother often referred to her eldest son as “goldstück,” which means piece of gold in German.

He had the same impression on Black Diamond and Turner Valley residents when he moved from Winnipeg with wife Elly and daughter Laura-Lynn 35 years ago.

Willi immediately joined the Foothills Lions Club and soon opened his home to everyone, offering to lend a hand whenever it was needed.

“The moment somebody needed something he was there,” Anna said. “He loved to help people. He never would take anything for it. People were always here and the coffee was always on.”

The tables turned three years ago when it was Willi who needed help. In late 2012, Willi’s mobile home caught fire with Elly inside. She was pulled from the blaze by neighbours, but succumbed to her injuries 13 days later in the Foothills Hospital with Willi at her side.

“Willi’s heart was just broken,” recalls Anna.

The community rallied together, opening trust accounts and collecting clothing, food and furniture for Willi. Two months later, McCann Building Movers out of Calgary announced it was donating a 1,080 square-foot bungalow to replace Willi’s charred home.

Temporarily set back by health issues, including a stroke, hernia operation and ongoing infections in his toes related to Type II diabetes, Willi worked every spare moment he had renovating his new home – that is when he wasn’t helping others.

Willi found himself in the hospital again last December after his toes were injured doing a construction job out of town.

He was diagnosed with sepsis, a deadly infection also known as blood poisoning. His kidneys and heart were failing.

As the condition worsened, Willi insisted on seeing his home one last time.

He was transferred to Oilfields General Hospital in Black Diamond and given a day pass to go home, where he was greeted with friends, family and his beloved bichon-shih tzu Maggie.

Among those in attendance was Willi’s friend of 15 years Andy Simpson.

“We all sat around and talked and I left at four,” he said.

Simpson said his friend died gracefully two hours later in the comfort of his home.

He can still remember the first time they met as clear as yesterday.

“I was in my garden and a guy comes ripping the neighbour’s roof up,” he said. “I called up, ‘Can I help you?’ and a voice carries out, ‘You’re a limey! Come up and help.’”

Once they were done for the day, Simpson headed home to prepare supper. Shortly after, his phone rang.

“Willi’s wife Elly said, ‘Come over for supper,’” he recalls. “I said, ‘My dinner is half cooked.’ She said, ‘Turn it off then.’ For 15 years I had supper there every night.”

Despite their respective health issues, Simpson and Willi kept busy working on one project after another, from laying stone at Willi’s house to building Simpson’s fence.

“We had both had heart attacks and everyone said, ‘You can never do that fence,’” Simpson laughed. “He was a strong man. He fought right to the end.”

Simpson said his best pal will be missed.

“He was a wonderful man,” he said. “He was an angel.”

James Lee, who met Willi through the Foothills Lions Club, said he was hardworking, quick to laugh and a good friend to everyone.

“For years he ran the campground,” he said. “He helped build many facets of it. Willi was always up for doing anything in the community.”

Lee said he will miss Willi’s sense of humour and laugh.

“He leaves a big void,” he said. “There is just no replacing him. He’s going to be sorely missed. Everybody loved Willi.”

Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck said it broke her heart to learn of Willi’s passing.

“Willi definitely was a very valued member within our community,” she said. “There wasn’t a thing you couldn’t ask Willi and it would be done. He was a very kind, compassionate man. It’s truly a loss for the community.”

A memorial service was held in Willi’s honour at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Hall on March 20.