June 3, 1947 – December 11, 2023
Beloved husband of Robin Gemer, passed away peacefully at home in Lethbridge, AB, on Monday, December 11, 2023 at the age of 76 years.
Allen leaves behind his sons: Jeff (Amanda) and Patrick (Christa); and daughter Susan (Justin); their mother Laura LeBlanc, and his brothers: Lloyd (Diane), Michael, and Dennis (Elsie). He also is mourned by nine grandchildren who knew and loved him both as Grandpa Al and Grandpa George: Shaun (Garret), Ethan (Brianna), Ainsley (Darnell), Callahan, Sophie, Isabelle, Jérémy, Piper, and Hadley. He will be missed by many nieces, nephews, extended family, and longtime friends from across the country.
Allen was predeceased by his eldest son Luke, mother Marie “Bunny”, father Percy, sister Ethel, and brother Carl.
Born in Quebec, and moving often in his youth, Allen settled and lived in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario for over 40 years, working as an educator, cheering for the Soo Greyhounds, mastering the art of finding treasures at yard sales and auctions, and most important to him, raising his family. He proudly completed his MBA, taught university courses, learned to swim in his late 30’s, was hard to beat at Jeopardy, and could usually be found with several newspapers at his side. After retiring he spent his years often travelling Canada coast to coast visiting family and friends before finding a new home in the city of Lethbridge, Alberta.
In Lethbridge, Allen leaves behind his dearest wife of over 12 years, Robin Gemer and her family: Sydney, George, Tara, Mark, Jackson, and Jasper, who welcomed him into their hearts and homes. We are forever grateful for the tremendous care provided by his entire healthcare team, but especially by Robin, whose unwavering dedication, love, and support gave him the strength to continue even on the most difficult days in their journey.
A Celebration of Allen’s life will take place at a later date. In the meantime, we thank everyone for their kind words, condolences, and stories about Al, and share some of his best advice - always listen to the little voice in the back of your head, always look for a good bargain, always wear good shoes, and always, always, buy the good toilet paper.
Allen was a strong believer in furthering one’s education and that hard work and dedication, paired with training and learning opportunities, could open doors and give someone a chance to reach for the stars and achieve their goals. With this in mind, in lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the following organizations to help further higher education opportunities for youth: Junior Achievement Southern Alberta (https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/d5b1c369-2a07-402f-bab1-4b989c57c835) or the Dragonfly Education Fund for Lethbridge College (https://give.lethbridgecollege.ca/give/308826/#!/donation/checkout)
To send a condolence, please visit www.cornerstonefuneralhome.com