Charles Stumpf

My deepest sympathies to the Stumpf family. I grew up in Denfield. I went to school with Yvonne and helped coach one of Ina's baseball teams. I met Charles when I worked on the Stumpf farms one summer. Since then, I talked with Charles from time-to-time at his businesses. Charles will be missed! Take care.

Michelle, Katie, Ian and Sabrina, Our hearts are so saddened by this news. I am so sorry we did not know earlier or we would have come in person to show our respects. Please know we are here if you need anything...again, words cannot express how sorry we are for your loss.

This was a great memorial and a big tribute to Charlie. He made a big impression on everyone. But the person who shaped him this way is his mother, standing modestly in the shadows. We friends grieved during the last weeks for her, such a caring mother and friend, bravely shouldering the heart breaking fact to lose a child. What a warm relationship she has with all her children, especially she had with Charlie. We also feel deep sympathy for the rest of the family. Dear Irma, we feel honoured to be a friend of you and your family, and yes against Charlie's will I have to shed a tear or two because of your loss, the loss of a wonderful person. His interview and the poem gave me much to think about. It is true that it is better to have a good shorter life than a miserable long one. Maybe there is a better life waiting for us because nobody has come back yet.

My Father was a man of values. He valued the principles of honour, justice and liberty. He valued honour, the concept that a man's word should be his bond. That he should trade fairly with his fellow man. He knew that life is not a zero sum game, that there are no losers in a good deal. My father made his living honestly, not through deception, but through commerce. He knew that a man should always keep his word, and always make good his promises. He valued justice, the principle that every man is responsible for his own actions. That just as the murderer must be punished, and the cowardly disdained, so too must the inventor be rewarded and the intelligent exalted. He valued liberty; the idea of the independence of the individual. That all men are the makers of their own fates, and the masters of their own ships. That no man has a right to dictate the behaviour of another and that we are each free to forge our own destiny. My father has passed away, as we all shall, but what has not perished are his principles. Honour, Justice, and Liberty. They live on in me, and they live on in you. And while we shall all one day pass on, it is these cherished ideals we must never allow to perish from the face of this earth.

Some of my favourite memories with dad are in his truck. Both dad and I loved going for country drives together. We'd be driving along, listening to the 'Best Songs In The World'. I'd either be singing along to every song - dad was one of the only people who didn't mind my dreadful singing - or we'd be talking about life, how lucky we were. Lucky to be alive, to not live in a third world country or have a fatal disease. Dad would say "I'll be having a bad day, the road is backed up, there's a stupid customer, I'll start getting frustrated. Then I'll take a step back and think, hey you don't have Parkinson's disease, you're not paralyzed. Life's pretty good." He'd shake his head in wonderment as he quoted 'There go I, but for the Grace of God." He knew that was true through and through. "God's grace is the only thing saving me from all that." Dad and I love those songs. There was one which I loved - it didn't quite make it onto dad's best songs CD. "The River Sings" by Enya. There's a pounding in that song that sounds and feels like a heart. That song is so alive. Dad would turn the volume up and hit repeat because he knows I love it. You could feel everything reverberating off the insides of the truck. You could feel the music moving through your veins. That song made us feel so alive. When we were out in the country with no stoplights to slow us down, no other cars on the road Dad would sometimes say 'Punch It' in an almost gravelly voice I can't explain and he'd gun it. We'd race down that country road, music all around us - it was great. I really love him, and I'm so glad he is my dad. Present Tense. Katie Stumpf

Ihr Lieben, wir haben von Charlys Tod über Robert Kügler erfahren.Wir glauben Charly geborgen in Gottes Armen . Wir sind sehr traurig mit euch ! Auch Elisabeth und Fritz denken intensiv an Euch . Seid umarmt ! Alle Baiersdorfer

Liebe Irmgard und Familie Nothing is harder then saying good by to some you love . May you find comfort in your loving memories and in the support of your family In deepest Sympathy Gretels daughter

Liebe Irmgard, die Nachricht von Charles' Tod hat uns sehr bestürzt - zu gern verdrängt man den Tod aus seinen Gedanken. Es ist sehr traurig, dass Charlie so früh vor er Zeit gehen musste. Unser tiefes Mitgefühl gilt Dir, seiner Frau Katie und der gesamten Familie. Oliver mit Manuela und Benjamin

Speech for Charles Charles embraced all areas of his life with gratitude and optimism and the fact that his rich life ended far too early should not prevent us from approaching today's celebration of his life, not with sadness, but with his same spirit of gratitude and optimism - hopefully Charles can help us with that today. I had the privilege of asking my brother some questions a couple of weeks ago and record his answers so others could benefit from his wisdom and thoughtful perspectives on life even after he was gone. He talked about his life, what and who influenced him, what he has learned, his hopes and joys. I learned how when he was young he really looked up to the men who worked on the farm. Guys like Gerhardt, Helmut, Bjarne and Arne he would closely observed how they worked and how they would build things and fix equipment. They were his first teachers and role models for logical problem solving, hard work and perseverence. He said he wasn't a big talker and throughout his life would learn so much just by listening and observing. That and using logic and basic scientific principles along with taking the time and effort to think things through. That's how he became so knowledgeable about so many things. This is why when Charles did talk, people listened and were so admiring of his outside the box thinking on so many issues. He so enjoyed being an entrepreneur and it was deeply gratifying for him to be creative and be able to solve customer problems. I asked him what he would choose to do if he could do any job he wanted and of course he said constuction. He loved watching with boyish wonder the creative, productive, logical process of building something from the ground up. He even watched with interest the construction of this very building, admiring how something so beautiful can be created from nothing with the combination of hard work and logical thinking. He was confident in what he achieved and that he had helped people more than he had harmed people. Judging from all the positive feelings expressed about Charles recently and throughout his life I think we can safely conclude that the world was made much richer with Charles in it. But enough of about how great Charles was. It's kind of fun as his younger sister to point out some of his faults as well. (I can hear his hearty laugh). For instance he was a Montreal Canadiens fan - and didn't have many nice things to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs. - This would kind of divide the family on those winter Saturday nights on the farm watching Hockey Night in Canada. He also found great joy in teasing Krista and me with unflattering nicknames and experimented many torturous wrestling moves on our bodies as we begged for mercy (granted we kind of enjoyed the attention from our older brother). And he never had much tolerance for stupid behavior or people who continued to make poor choices in their lives. He did not believe in charity but believed in being generous, especially with helping young people become self-reliant, productive adults. Many of these young people are here today to express gratitude for the difference Charles made in their lives through employment, guidance and opportunities for learning. The joy that permeated the way he lived his life always had a timeless quality to it. He had an inner knowing that life, when measure in time, is "just a speck" he said but that the joys of life are eternal. He spoke about the joys of simple things like beautiful weather days, contemplating the majesty of nature, the glassy water of Grand Bend at 8 in the morning, seeing things grow and thrive, stroking Sabrina's hair at night at she falls asleep. For fun I asked him what he wanted to come back as if he could return to earth as something or someone else and these are his words: "Wow, I would probably like to be a Rocky Mountain. Something big and majestic and permanent, with a clear view of changes and what's going on with man's trials and tribulations and attempts to conquer, the successes and failures. I think that would be pretty neat." And then he added with his hearty laugh, "You know, if I couldn't be a John Deere tractor." Charles loved music and the songs he loved the best also reflected that death was a part of life and to seek out and savour joy in everything. Our family was together for the last time in October to celebrate my sister Yvonne's birthday and instead of singing Happy Birthday we sang a song my mother heard them sing at birthdays when she was in Scotland. As we were singing I heard someone singing louder than the rest of us and that someone was Charles wishing his sister blessings, comfort and hope for the coming year. He would not celebrate another birthday but was joyous in celebrating the present moment. Charles your creative, nurturing touch is so evident here and all over. Thank you. You are free.

Very sorry to hear this sad news Barb - Brian and I are keeping you, your husband and the girls along with your family upheld in our prayers during this very sad difficult time.

My deepest condolences to Katie and her family. I regret not being able to offer my support and condolences in person. I did not know Charles well but it is obvious that he was a kind person and a good father. My thoughts and prayers are with you all through this undoubtedly difficult time.

First of all our sincerest condolences to Irmgard who must part with a first son, to Michelle who will be without the valuable support of a husband; to Ian, Kathrine and Sabrina who will have to continue life without a father, which is in itself a heavy burden with which to live; to Yvonne, Ina , Mike, Barbara and Krista, who at a relatively young age have to do without a brother of great life experience; there are also nephews and nices: Arthur, Andrew, Natalie, Nicole, Erika and Anna, who may not benefit from an uncle's vast experience. We of the close family living in Québec have had the opportunity and the rewarding pleasure to have been with you, Charles, a few days before you had to depart for your last journey, we shall remember you! There are also many relatives in Germany who have known you, Charles, however briefly, to express their heartfelt sympathy to all your family. Thank you and your family for all the wonderful hours and days that we could spend together. We are all very sad that you had to leave us so early in your life. With sympathy and love to all the family Stumpf, Suzanne and Artur.

Irma, and family: We were very sorry to read of Charles' death in the paper. We loved to go to Springbank Gardens and chat with Charles, he was always a great source of information. He will be missed. Irma, please accept our deepest sympathy, we will keep you all in our prayers. Sincerely Angela and Patrick Clarke (formerly of Lucan and exercises at CCAA)

Lieber Charles, wir trauern mit Deiner Mutter Irmgard, Deiner Frau Michelle, Deinen Kindern und Geschwistern. Mit Dir können wir keinen auf dieser Welt üblichen Kontakt mehr aufnehmen, weil Du schon da bist, wo wir alle einmal hingehen. Wir wussten wenig von einander, unsere Begegnungen waren selten und dann nur kurz. Das hat sich seit gestern geändert, nachdem wir im Internet die aufrichtigen und herzlichen Nachrufe der Menschen, die Dich umgaben, gelesen hatten. Jetzt kennen wir Dich besser. Offensichtlich hinterlässt Du Spuren, denen Deine Familie und Freunde folgen. Wir wünschen allen, dass diese Spuren in eine gute Zukunft führen. Dieter und Edith Wolfram und Uschi Oliver und Manuela mit Benjamin

We send our sincere sympathy to Michelle ,Ian,Katie and Sabrina and to Irmagard and all her family. Being Don Kitchener's sister and brother-in-law, we met Charles at Ina and Don's wedding. We were impressed by his kindness and happy outlook on life. It seems that he kept this outlook over the years. It such a shame that he went to Heaven so young. God must have needed a very special angel.

On behalf of myself and all of us associated with Evergreen Nursery, we wish to extend our heartfelt sympathies and sincere condolences to Michelle, Ian, Katherine, Sabrina and the Stumpf family on their loss. It is truly a sad day when the horticultural industry loses a senior statesman, but it is indeed tragic when someone so young is lost before being given that honour and distinction. We are truly sorry for your loss.

This is very sad news indeed; Charles knew it was coming and openly talked about this. He was a great man, respectful of others, a genuine believer in fairness when conducting his business. I had the pleasure of working with him and his brother on the family farm thirty years ago and I remember with enthusiasm the good times we had while still working hard that summer. We shared many laughs together. He liked to share his thoughts with me on various subjects on which he was very knowledgeable, including economics, politics, education, and many more. I really enjoyed hearing his opinions and views. Lately we could not see much of each other, 725 km separated us, but I saw him five years ago and three weeks ago when illness settled in for good. It is amazing how positive Charles has remained throughout his disease, still smiling and finding joy and beauty and stimulation around him. I am so happy that I and my siblings Erika, Franz, and Elisabeth, his Québec cousins, as well as his Québecois uncle Artur, were able to see him and have some last conversations before his final journey. ¨We love you very much, Charles¨, was the last words I had for him, as I hugged him one last time at Irmgard's residence last October 30. May you keep an eye out for us, you will be always be in my thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace, see you in the afterworld. Michaël

Dear Katie. I am very sorry for the loss in your family. I just want to tell you that i will always be here to support you and your family. I knew you dad since I was little ( about 8 years) and he was a very nice, and a funny guy. He always made your family and me laugh all the time. I know that what your going through is very hard. So I just want to tell you that I am here for everything you need.

To the Stumpf family, This morning as we passed the Spring Bank Garden Centre my wife noticed the sign in remembrance of Charles. I have known Charles and Mike for many years and I was deeply saddened to read the Free Press today. In business, it is hard to find good and straightforward people. That is what I remember of Charles, he was a good person. Our thought and prayers are with you Mike and the entire Stumpf family during this time of much sorrow. With our deepest condolences,

To Charles Wife and children and to Irmgard and all the Family, my deepest sympathy for your loss ,so sudden and so early. When Ina gave me the news a couple of months ago ,he was supposed to live for a little longer, reason why the news were a surprise.Hope you all will have the strength to cope with your loss. As a friend of Ina and Don,I last had the pleasure to see Charles in 2000 when Arthur and I were visiting his grand parents. God bless you all.

I am so sad to read of this news today. Charles and I went to Oxbow and Medway schools together and even though I hadn't seen him since, I have often recalled those days, especially when driving past the old family farm. At Oxbow he was always the student chosen for special projects since he was way ahead of others in both his day-to-day work and maturity, and I still marvel at the brilliant investment he made (which he insisted was very simple) in grain futures after which he bought a new Mercedes Benz 240D with the profits -- in Grade 10 or 11!! I'm sorry I didn't know him after High School, but his memory lives on with me.

For many years Crime Stoppers have called on charles to donate to our fund raisers and he always welcomed us with open arms and generously donated to many of our silent auction tables as well as our School symposiums. We were all sadened by his passing and wish to express our condolences onto his familyand employees. God Bless Board of Directors London Elgin-Middlesex Crime Stoppers

Dear Charles, Thankyou so much for your presence, your smile, your kind words for all those around you, your cheerfullness, and for the joy your presence brought to those around you. I was priviledged to share a few of your last days with us. I was specially touched by your positive attitude towards your end of life, wanting to live it fully, which you have done with peace and appreciation. You have given me so much these few days before leaving us. Thankyou again for those precious moments. Your appreciation of the opportunities life had given you is very revealing of your gratitude towards being alive. What a lesson! I love you, your cousin Elisabeth

Dear Michelle, Ian, Katie & Sabrina: We are very saddened to hear of the passing of Charles. We remember him as a great neighbour (when we lived next door on Valetta) and friend. He was a fantastic father and he always had a kind word and a wonderful smile to share with all. He will be deeply missed. Please accept our sincere condolences across the miles. Next time I am in London to visit my Mom, I'll drop in to the store to see you Michelle. Please take care during this trying time and take great comfort in the beautiful memories you have of Charles. God Bless you all!!!

Sincere condolences to Michelle and family, and the Stumpf family. May happy memories carry you through this sorrowful time. God Bless.

Very sad news . My sincerest sympathy to Irmgard , his wife and children , brother and sisters . I first met Charles on the family farm in Denfield when he was about 10 years old . Saw him grow up , go to University ,open Land of Software and then Springbank Gardens . He had so much more to give . A life ended to soon . Gisela , Peter and Heidi

My condolences to Michelle and your children and all of the family. I too benefited from Charles taking me under his wing and giving me a chance in the business world when I was still wet behind the ears and to this day (20 years later) I have the same nickname he bestowed upon me. I have never had another employer in all of that time be more caring and generous in any respect. I have many fond memories of working at Land of Software and Charles was the central character in many a caper. Thank you, my friend, for being a large part in shaping me to be the adult I am today. I am deeply saddened to hear of your passing. RIP ~ lizzard

I had the privilege of working for Charles for several years at Land of Software. He gave a very young teenager the chance to have a "real" job and was always willing to take the time to share his considerable knowledge about business and politics. I will always be grateful that he took the time to give me a chance, and for the skills and opportunities that job gave me. Sincerest condolences to Michelle, the kids, and the extended Stumpf family. Rest in peace.

Von guten Mächten Von guten Mächten treu und still umgeben, behütet und getröstet wunderbar, so will ich diese Tage mit euch leben und mit euch gehen in ein neues Jahr. Noch will das alte unsre Herzen quälen, noch drückt uns böser Tage schwere Last, ach, Herr, gib unsern aufgescheuchten Seelen das Heil, für das Du uns bereitet hast. Und reichst Du uns den schweren Kelch, den bittern des Leids, gefüllt bis an den höchsten Rand, so nehmen wir ihn dankbar ohne Zittern aus Deiner guten und geliebten Hand. Doch willst Du uns noch einmal Freude schenken an dieser Welt und ihrer Sonne Glanz, dann wolln wir des Vergangenen gedenken, und dann gehört Dir unser Leben ganz. Laß warm und still die Kerzen heute flammen, die Du in unsre Dunkelheit gebracht, führ, wenn es sein kann, wieder uns zusammen. Wir wissen es, Dein Licht scheint in der Nacht. Wenn sich die Stille nun tief um uns breitet, so laß uns hören jenen vollen Klang der Welt, die unsichtbar sich um uns weitet, all Deiner Kinder hohen Lobgesang. Von guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen, erwarten wir getrost, was kommen mag. Gott ist mit uns am Abend und am Morgen und ganz gewiß an jedem neuen Tag. Liebe Angehörige, was Worte nicht ausdrücken können, kann vielleicht dieses Gedicht. Wir denken an euch und schließen euch in unsere Gebete mit ein. Familie Mark + Erwin Wiehl

Charles was a real gentleman, and I consider myself fortunate to have met him. I always marvelled on how he thought "outside the box" in running his Garden Centre business. Along with his brother Mike, they were very successful in bringing fun, excitement, good knowledge, customer satisfaction, and value to the gardening business. What a guy, ....honest, generous, polite, humorus, and a good friend. I will miss him! The horticulture industry in London has lost a good promoter of the gardening experience. Sincere condolences to his family, I am sure they will miss him immensely

My heart goes out to the family of Charles. To Michelle and your son and daughters; to Mike & Ute and daughters; and to all other Stumpf and McKenney family members I had the privilege of meeting during my time with the gang at Land Of Software. Those were happy times and I have so many fond memories. Thank-you Charles for the opportunities you gave me. Your generosity will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace ~ Tezzi