Remembering Edgar Bendicks 'Ed'

It is with sadness that the family announces the passing of our cherished husband, father and Opa, Edgar Bendicks, at Leacock Care Centre on April 2, 2024. Edgar Otto Ernst Bendicks, an only child, was born and raised in the Hamburg area of West Germany on the Ides of March, March 15, 1939. His mother Martha, was a seamstress, and his father Eric, a butcher in the family business. One of his earliest memories, and the only memory of his father, was of sitting on his lap at about age 3 or 4, while his father was in military uniform. Unfortunately, and as was the case with so many children who lived at that time, Edgar grew up without his father who died in a Russian prisoner of war camp near the end of WW II.

Edgar’s early years were spent in the countryside with his mother and it was there that he developed a lifelong love of animals. Throughout his adult life companions included dogs: King, Rusty and Skippy, and they provided him with immense joy. When he was seven years old, his mother was admitted to a hospital several kilometres away from their home. Ever the adventurer, besides tending to himself and their home during her absence, Edgar kayaked the Elbe River in the evenings for several weeks in order to see her. She made it worth the trip by saving her after-dinner pudding for him. A rebel rouser and joker with far too much energy, Edgar had several unique experiences during his school years. He was expelled from middle school classes for flooding the school basement and was forced to travel across town to a different school for the entire year. Although he tried to keep this event from his mother, she found out and promptly gave him a good tanning with a carpet beater, her preferred tool for punishment. According to him, it was used fairly often and usually deservedly so. He also developed a liking for tormenting the local church minister who oversaw his convocation classes, greasing the pastor’s glasses and placing marbles on the pulpit floor in order to get him to slip.

Edgar spent most of his summers while a youth attending or working at scout camps, swimming, fishing, sitting at campfires and of course getting up to mischief with his friends. In one story, he was dared by a friend to swallow a live goldfish, which of course he did. He also cycled and camped his way across Europe with his scout troupe seeing many of the great European sites. During one of his cycling escapades, he and his buddies stayed on a nude beach for the day and got so badly sunburned that they had to ride home standing up buck naked on their bikes as they could not sit or tolerate the pain of having their clothes on.

Another famous misadventure occurred when he and a friend were “playing” with a BB gun. Edgar dared his friend to shoot him, which his friend promptly did - in the behind. A week later, it abscessed. His doctor who removed it asked him if he knew how it happened to which Edgar innocently replied, “No, I have no idea where that came from.” A further case of adolescent brilliance occurred when he accepted a bet to jump from one of the Harburg bridges into the Elbe River for five Deutsche Marks. Of course he took the bet because, as his eldest daughter presciently noted years later, “Dad is so tight he screws his socks on in the morning”. Considering the commercial shipping traffic, the debris in the river and the fast-moving current, it was probably one of the stupidest things anyone could ever have done.

When Edgar was sixteen, his whole life changed as he met Ingrid, then 15, the love of his life. His mischievous nature was still apparent however, as he would send his gang of friends to follow her around and tease her on his behalf. Yet he was still a romantic at heart gifting her a dozen yellow roses on her 16th birthday, a tradition he continued every birthday for the rest of his life. To prepare for his vocation, Edgar completed an engineering program, working as an apprentice on naval engines at a shipyard in Hamburg. In 1958, at the age of 19, he made the decision to move to Canada, arriving at the Port of Montreal, Quebec before moving to Hamilton, Ontario, in order to explore opportunities for a better life outside of post-war Europe. He was on his own, but he was ever-confident in his abilities. Ingrid joined him in Canada a year later and, as was often the case, he had a surprise waiting for her, having saved-up 3 weeks of sweaty, smelly work clothes in the closet of their apartment. Ingrid did so much washing on the old ringer washer in the backyard, that their landlady thought she was taking in laundry to earn extra money. Despite this, Edgar and Ingrid were married in 1959, in Milton, Ontario at St. Paul’s United Church with Ingrid carrying yellow roses in the minister’s office. Edgar’s first job upon arriving in Canada was at a hardware store in Hamilton, an opportunity which, besides bringing in a salary, allowed him to improve his command of the English language. He next worked at Milton Bus and Body as a shop foreman building school buses. He then took a manufacturing engineer role at the Brampton plant of American Motors (subsequently taken over by Renault, then Chrysler), working his way up to senior management over his 35-year career. He spent many years travelling extensively from Acton and Guelph to Detroit weekly and Europe many times each year. In his later roles, he was instrumental in outfitting the robotics section for the newly constructed Bramalea automotive plant. He retired from the automotive industry at the age of 53. Despite his busy day job, Edgar also worked alongside his wife at her businesses, the Acton Delicatessen and Café, later a gift shop. Arriving home at the end of the day, he helped to prepare food (including hundreds of gallon pails of their ever-popular potato salad), cater events and deliver Ingrid’s beautiful gift baskets.

Edgar and Ingrid welcomed two daughters into the world, raising them with much love and passing on their strong work ethic and moral code. His tenet was that when you make decisions about what you will or will not do, you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror the next morning.

For Sharon and Sandra, growing-up meant family time canoeing and swimming in Fairy Lake, sunbathing in the backyard, taking long walks with one of the treasured family dogs, enjoying traditional Sunday coffee and torte with the German-Canadian Radio Station on in the background, and sitting on the back porch talking late into the evening, listening to both Muzak (driving his daughters crazy) and the infernal mosquito zapper, which, ironically, he installed to deal with the mosquitoes that lived in the cedar hedges he purposefully planted around the house.

Sharon fondly recalls her father’s love of music and fine dining. A couple of times a year the family would get dressed up to attend a musical performance and enjoy an elegant meal at a nice restaurant. Seafood buffets or great steak dinners were his favourite choices when dining out. On clear summer nights her father would share his star gazing with her while laying back on lounge chairs (avoiding the mosquitos), pointing out constellations and discussing the way of the universe and spirituality with her.

Sandra remembers accompanying her father on trips to National Grocers, a wholesale food market, on the weekend where Edgar would purchase the supplies for Ingrid’s café. As a treat, she got to ride the platform carts in the store. Afterwards he would make his specialty, sunny-side up eggs and fried salami for lunch.

Edgar was happy to greet sons-in-law Harold (Sharon) and Michael (Sandra) with open arms. He was particularly happy to engage them in rousing debates, seeing as the women in the Bendicks’ household knew well-enough to steer clear of his proselytizing.

Edgar and Ingrid retired in their mid-fifties, moving to Vancouver Island. While visiting friends, Edgar saw an eagle swoop down to catch a fish right beside the boat he was riding in and decided then and there that is where he wanted to go next. During retirement, Edgar and Ingrid enjoyed time sailing and camping throughout Vancouver Island. They were active members of their regional Power Squadron with Edgar teaching several navigation courses. They also had a close social group, spending many hours over lunches and dinners and discussing politics long into the evening.

Besides sailing his fixer-upper 32-foot Ketch, “Gigi”, around Vancouver Island, Edgar loved to garden and possessed both a green thumb and an iron will when it came to plants. After working on any garden, he would simply command the plants to “grow”. Who were they to disobey? He was a skilled handyman and in addition to refurbishing his “Gigi”, rebuilt a vintage car in his spare time. He truly appreciated good food, so he was fortunate to have married Ingrid who was an outstanding chef. Sadly, her meals were so good that he had little interest in going out for dinner (special events aside) much to Ingrid’s annoyance. Particular favourites included schnitzel, roladen, potato salad, coffee cake, home-made jam and of course any sauce, especially gravies, that his wife prepared. In addition, he loved eggs and enjoyed 2 every morning. He was also skilled at producing homemade wine as a hobby. Several of his landscape paintings, in the style of Bob Ross, hang in his daughters’ homes.

Later in life, Edgar and Ingrid excitedly welcomed their two grandchildren, Lucas (Sharon) and Maggie (Sandra). Because he was older, Lucas in particular was able to spend many weeks during the summer with his grandparents, camping and swimming in British Columbia. They also enjoyed time with granddaughter Maggie at Patricia Beach, painting faces and hair on rocks she found in the garden or going for a hamburger at the Half Moon Drive Inn in Lockport, Manitoba. Edgar made it a point to visit his daughters and their families in the summer and for many Christmas vacations. Most recently, Lucas married the love of his life, Kim, and Edgar and Ingrid could not have been happier.

Edgar and Ingrid recently moved back to Orillia, Ontario to be closer to Sharon, Harold, Lucas and Kim. There, he attained the ripe old age of 85. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. From all of us, thank you Edgar/Dad/Opa for being a part of our lives.

Edgar was predeceased by his father and mother. He is survived by Ingrid, his wife of 65 years, daughters Sharon (Harold) and Sandra (Michael), grandson Lucas (Kim) and granddaughter Maggie.

Guests will be received at Carson Funeral Home – L.Doolittle Chapel, 54 Coldwater St. E., in Orillia (705) 326-3595 on Saturday April 6, 2024 from 11 am until the time we celebrate his life in the Chapel starting at 1 pm. A reception will follow on site  

The family would like to thank the staff of both the Leacock Care Centre and the Leacock Retirement Lodge for their kind and gracious care of Edgar and continuing support of Ingrid. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Humane Society and are appreciated.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www.carsonfuneralhomes.com