FREDERICK MICHAEL MIGUEZ

September 24, 1919 – December 21, 2021

An era has ended with the passing of Fred Miguez on December 21, 2021 at the age of 102. He passed away peacefully in his home of 67 years, on Roseberry Street in Winnipeg. He will be greatly missed by the many family and friends he surrounded himself with during his long life. He will be remembered as a mentor to many.

 

Fred married Veronica (Ronnie) Sheedy on July 4, 1954 at St. Ann's Church in Winnipeg. They were married 45 years until Ronnie's passing in 1999. He is survived by his daughter Roberta (Bobbie) Porteous (Ken); granddaughter Lindsay (Mathieu) and grandson Michael (Zina) and great-grandson Benson Frederick and many nieces, nephews, and extended family. Fred was predeceased by his parents, Antonio and Elvira (Nee Gomez) and his siblings including brothers, Joe, Art, Alf, George and Tony and sisters, Mary, Nina and Pilar.

 

Fred’s parents emigrated from Spain in 1907. Fred was born on September 24, 1919 in the family home at 1910 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg. Fred attended St. Edward's School until age 14, before leaving to help with the family business. The Miguez family had the refuse collection contract for the City of St. James, before the amalgamation with the City of Winnipeg. The family business was started with teams of horses, before transitioning to motorized vehicles.

 

After agreeing to wear glasses for his nearsightedness, Fred joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1942, and crossed the Atlantic over New Years, before landing in Inverness, Scotland in January 1943. He worked as a Cat-skinner for the Number 2 Company, Forestry Corp, making bridges and roads for the troops. He spent time in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, before his final stop in the forests of Germany. He returned to Winnipeg on January 8, 1946 and jumped straight back into the family business.

 

In November of 1955, Fred and Ronnie became a family of three. They lovingly adopted their daughter Roberta (Bobbie) when she was just 7 days old. Life’s newest adventure had begun! Bobbie’s memorable moments are plenty but some of her best memories are the times that Fred and his little girl, who was barely out of diapers, rode side by side on numerous work vehicles from their beloved “Shop”. In the 1960s, Fred took over the family business and shifted his business to the commercial sector, renaming it Fred Miguez Trucking. Fred and Bobbie’s adventures continued, taking them all over Winnipeg, with Bobbie usually seated atop his lap. She still cringes when she remembers the sounds and the smells of The Tannery! These happy days with her dad were also spent pumping water, handing him just the right tool and becoming an expert at switching out trailer hitches and hooking up winches; all at the tender age of 9. Her greatest pride was that her dad could fix anything. She fondly remembers that, “My dad and Uncle Tony were always together. If there was a problem with one of the trucks, you would find them waist deep in the engine, figuring out how to fix it. There wasn't much the two of them together couldn't fix.”

 

Nephew Larry Hayden remembers Fred for his “knowledge, wisdom, kindness, laughter, brashness, honesty and truth, and trust and friendship, all characteristics of a gentle and giving soul.”

             

Fred retired in 1984 but continued helping out whenever he could. In his later years Fred liked nothing better than having coffee with his youngest brother Tony and nephews Joe, Mike, Gerry, Barry, Johnny, Glen and Larry whenever some or all could join him. And he very much enjoyed his outings to his niece Donna's farm in Anola, Manitoba.

Fred was a man of routine and this certainly contributed to his longevity. Whether this was a throwback to his army days or part of his work ethic, we'll never really know. With his daughter’s assistance over the past three years, Fred was able to stay in his own home until his passing. There, he was able to enjoy the comfort, the security, and the routines he loved so much.

 

Bobbie is truly grateful to all those special people who assisted her through his journey and would like to thank her cousins, the Palliative Care team, Home Care, Dr. Colin Fletcher, the pharmacy team at the Assiniboine Pharmasave and the staff at Veterans Affairs Canada for their compassion and care of Fred. It was deeply felt and sincerely appreciated.

 

Fred's family kindly requests that his friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour his memory by visiting his tribute page at EthicalDeathCare.com. A photo biography, as well as memories and stories published by those who knew him, are available there.

             

Cremation has taken place and there will be a celebration of Fred’s life when it is safe to do so. For those who wish to make a donation in Fred’s honour, they may do so to the Salvation Army or War Amps Canada