Eric Harold Donau^[1]

1921 - 2004  (83 years)

• Name	Eric Harold Donau
  Residence	1921	184 Mill St., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Born	19 Jan 1921	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198093251
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-372148
  Died	26 Jul 2004	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Buried	Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I372148	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	John Donau,   b. 1883, , Poland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Mary Trudnowski,   b. 1890, , Poland ,   d. 1 Feb 1991, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 101 years)
  Family ID	F60529	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Hildagard "Hilde Polzin,   b. 1 Sep 1920,   d. 8 Dec 1997  (Age 77 years)
  Married	1940
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F256909	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  DONAU, Eric Harold - January 19, 1921 - July 24, 2004. Eric Harold Donau, in his 84th year, passed away suddenly - but quietly, and peacefully, at his home on Lancaster St. W. in Kitchener, on Saturday July 24, 2004. Eric was the proud Father of one son and three daughters, who will miss him beyond words: Rick and his wife Kathy, Mary Lou and her husband Roy Conway, Janis and her husband Wayne Boehler, and Debby, his youngest. Deeply loved grandfather of Jason Roth and his wife Anne, Kristi and her husband Matt Robb, Sarah and her husband Scott Stemerdink, Matt Donau, Adam Boehler, Kelly Paxton and her partner Mark Solomon and Stacey Paxton and her partner Phil Saunders. Blessed with six beautiful great-grandchildren, Alex and Joel Roth, Emma and Luke Robb, Mitchell and Ellie Stemerdink. He is survived by his older sister, Helen Kaufman of Waterloo, and his younger sister, Molly Ferguson of Toronto, as well as many nieces and nephews in the Donau family. Also left to mourn are members of the Polzin family, sisters-in-law, Mary Kneebone, Rita Storer and Marian Polzin; brothers-in-law, Arthur Hammer, Joe Polzin, and Edward Polzin, along with many nieces and nephews in the Polzin family. So sadly predeceased by his cherished wife, the former Hilde Polzin, on December 8, 1997. Also predeceased by his parents, John and Marie Donau; two brothers, Harry and Ewald, and two sisters, Sophie and Ida. Eric's family emigrated from Poland in the early 1900's, and after living in Timmins, Ont. for a brief time, they settled in Kitchener, where Eric was born in 1921. He met Hilde Polzin in 1938, married her in 1940, and they shared 56 happy years together, raising their four children. He was employed by Electrohome Ltd. from 1941 until his retirement in 1986 having spent forty-five years in the furniture industry, which he loved. He was Manager of Quality Control for the renowned Deilcraft Furniture division of Electrohome, where he nurtured lifetime friendships with many of his co-workers and colleagues. His golf buddies will miss him, as will his coffee mates at Tim Horton's. Everybody loved Eric. But he was our Dad; and we, his family, with breaking hearts, will miss his spontaneous jokes, his laughter, his love of music and dance, his kindness, his understanding, and his unequivocal generosity. And we'll always remember, and never forget, his favourite phrase: "Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Here we go!" The family will receive friends at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 621 King St. W., Kitchener, Wednesday July 28, 2004 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. A funeral service will follow in the chapel at 2:30 p.m. Cremation to follow. Reception in the Ratz-Bechtel Family Centre. Memorial donations to St. Mary's Hospital Foundation or the K-W Hospital of the Grand River Health Centre Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy and may be placed by contacting the funeral home at 745-9495 or through 1057@alderwoods.com "Thank you God, for taking him so gently into your hands."

  
  

• Sources

  [S2403] News - Unidentified Newspaper Obituary, Obituary of Gladys Mary Polzin - Lemanski - 1986. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198093251/eric-donau.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 19 Jan 1921 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 26 Jul 2004 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth