Fred viewing

Open casket viewing this evening. Lots of people came out. We were prompted to write or draw on paper to add to the casket which would then be cremated with him. Funeral in Southey next month. 
 

Fixing dishwasher

 Fixed dishwasher. Painted yesterday. Didn't have as much time as usual, but feel image of a viewmaster was the best person I've ever not painted. 

Sylvie last day

 Sylvie has been sick for weeks, loosing weight at an alarming rate while eating constantly. The vet's pills have had no effect. She's obviously in increasing pain. Today the vet came tot the house, as we'd scheduled two weeks ago. and put her to sleep. We've had her since she was a wee thing, a weeking of a young cat in 2009. She was about 17 and a half years old. 

Fred Bessai obituary

 Phone woke us at 2:30 in the morning. Margaret's father passed away. Margaret had been in to see him just a few hours before, as she had been doing for five nights a week over this past year. He'd been asking about things that were imaginary and he'd been breathing a bit more laboured, but was still lucid and alert. I'm happy that they had that evening together without stress. I will remember him as someone who always had a question, always authentically curious. I finished by BFA because I couldn't face telling him that it didn't matter to me. His love of knowledge was contagious. 

Dr Frederick Bessai, BA’58, BEd’60, MEd’62, PhD’64, and Fellow of the Royal Society in London, our deeply loved dad, grandfather, friend and colleague has slipped from us softly, passing away in his sleep on September 22, 2026 at the age of 93. Fred joins his wife, Gertrud in final rest. He is survived by his immediate family, Margaret (Gerald) and grandson William, son George (Samantha) and granddaughters Katherine and Kristin (Ryan), his beloved cousin Alma (Emrys), his nephews and nieces, and many dear friends around the world.  

A founding member of the faculty of Education at the University of Regina, dad was a teacher who encouraged learning and enjoyed sharing knowledge. He was deeply rooted in the prairies and spent his summers farming wheat and hay, keeping bees, and growing a garden. He loved nothing better than a meal of beef and potatoes from his farm with a good glass of wine.  

Fred was born on the family farm near Southey, Saskatchewan on November 9, 1932. His parents were Theresa (nee Jaeckel) and Ludwig Bessai, immigrants and pioneers who spoke primarily German at home. His brothers and sisters were Frank (Diane Lane); Mary (Albert Weber); Wilhelmina or Minnie (George Morrisette); and John. As a widow late in life, dad’s mom remarried, and Fred gained another family with Karl Galenzoski and his children, Harold, Irene, Bob and Ron, Charlie, and Lloyd, and their families.

Dad’s life spanned a remarkable century of industrial and social progress in Saskatchewan. He grew up with horses, coal-oil lamps and the radio during the Depression, lived through rural electrification and the establishment of Medi-care. He farmed and worked as a technician with the Department of Highways to afford college tuition, and thereafter, his connection to learning shaped his life. After teacher’s college, he went to university in Saskatoon. There he met our mom, and during their studies in Saskatoon and Edmonton, they made many life-long friends. After his PhD convocation, dad preferred to celebrate his graduation date over than his birthday. 

Married in the spring of 1965, Fred and Gertrud settled in Regina to be close to family and the farm, and dad joined the newly formed Faculty of Education. Together they built a life that followed the seasons: winter in the city, and summer on the farm. During his university tenure, Fred helped design and build both the building and programs for the Education faculty on the new site for what was then, the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. His advice to teachers was to care for students, to nurture them: a failed a test meant a failure in teaching. On the day he retired, we photographed him beside a stack of books taller than he was, each book a thesis representing a student he had supervised in their graduate career.

Dad loved music and reading. He was a good friend, a listener and a storyteller. He enjoyed word play and words, Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, the dictionary, and books on prairie history such as, “Butter Down the Well”. He was kind and supportive, and always had time to help, or if visitors popped in, time for a coffee. He used to joke--“Put some water in the soup and set another place!”—there was always room for one more. As a farmer, he worked cooperatively with neighbours and was a member of the Wheat Pool. He was pragmatic, always ready with a DIY solution. He always said, “Thank you for coming.”

We give special thanks for the circle of care and love who surrounded dad in his final years: his neighbours and friends Greg, Judy and Simon, who were his second family, his nephew Allen, house-keepers Shade and Elaine who became dear friends, and the staff at Selo Gardens Personal Care Home. When dad had to move from his house into assisted living, we visited him every day, and he always felt he was home. 

Funeral service will be held 11 am on Saturday October 17, 2026 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Southey. (#345 on SK Hwy 6) Everyone is welcome. Lunch will be served after the service, with interment to follow at Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery near Markinch.

For those wishing to make a memorial donation to the Faculty of Education in honour of Dr. Frederick Bessai, please contact Samira Azzahir at the University of Regina at samira.azzahir@uregina.ca.

William's new job

 William heading off to his first full time job at the AI factory. 

Later that evening, dishwasher died. 

Lawn mower

 

The lawn mower that my dad gave us when we moved into this house (which was his old lawn mower already, so likely dates from the mid-80s) is now starting well. We're looking at getting something battery powered instead. 

QCC

 Missed QCC last night - had one of my uncommon migraines. Went there tonight. There was a very powerful and complex animation by Wrik Mead that was a delight. 

Cat trouble

 Cat is on her last legs (last life?). Peed on the floor. I did some research and got a reliable cleaner for this ("Nature's Miracle"), but the living room has never been re-finished so the wood just sucks everything up. We need to start confining her places at night. 

Painting again

 Ward Schell passed this camera to me last week. I'm back in my classes, but in a way I'm feeling like I should be doing something fresh. Maybe soon. 

Groceries with mom

 No big stories. Mom had her list and we picked up groceries. Sometimes she forgets that she has something already. We went back for groceries again three days later and she wanted to buy three of four of the same items but I assured her that she had enough. Had I not been with her today (and with this photo in hand as evidence) I might not have been able to convince her. 

Sylvie the cat

 Sylvie has been shrinking for a few months now. She eats and eats and never gains weight. All just skin and bones now. She likes being outside and finding new sources of water. 

AGR opening

 I was initially quite confused by Sandee's outfit as curator today, but when a couple others also donned such attire, I realized that the animal theme of the Art Gallery of Regina's opening show was being referenced. Jeff Meldrum also pictured above. 

Moose Jaw and Heather Cline

 

William and I drove out to Moose Jaw for Heather Cline's opening at the art gallery there. Fabulous as always. Part of her new normal now is that the first question she fielded was about the phone she dropped from her husband's plane that got national media attention for not having a scratch on it when they found it in a field. Meanwhile, my fighting fish died. 

 

Art crawl

 MacKenzie opening and talk (Cassil dance film and photography), Slate opening (Ward Schell and Frans Lotz) and Create City Centre grand re-opening (too much to describe). 

More apple sauce

 I cooked up the rest of the apples into sauce. I probably lost a third or more of them due to over-ripening because I got too busy to finish them, but the result is sweet (though unsugared) and has a nice colour. Got about 16 jars (with some being bigger) to add to the first 9. 

Spiderman Brand New Day

After an afternoon screening of Spiderman, A Brand New Day at the Southland, we emerged with the rain having stopped and the sun and the light were amazing and bright. 
 

Gin party

 Saw everyone at the gin party. Rain threatened but held off until later. Streets in neighbourhood packed with the Labour Day game. 

SwampFest

Lori, Al, and Rourk came for a visit this morning. Nice day on the deck to read a book. 

This afternoon Reginald returned to SwampFest, this year reading from Treasure Island as he hosted people on and off the island. Nice day. Saw lots of folks. 

 

Dandy's is closing

 Picked up mom for coffee this afternoon but instead of coffee, we ended up at Dandy's ice cream. There was an article in the newspaper today which said they are closing down at the end of this month, so this might be the last time we go. Mom enjoyed it but felt that the small was too much for her. 

Visiting Access Cable

 I joined CJTR today and Jo gave William and I bit of a walk around tour. There has been a bit of renovation since I was there last. Talked to Graham Condo. Also popped into an edit room which no longer has linear editing like I used here 30 years ago, but in that same room I saw this (see photo above) to which I was quite amused (certainly is a joke between video editors in the building). 

Country Corner donuts

 Stopped at the donus shop to see if there is any progress. I can see that the door to the back is now closed. As with last time, the inner space is stripped of counters and tables. I noticed that there is a stack of new metal vents in the corner, but looking back at my photos from May, I see that they were already there four months ago. 

Grocery day

 One change since I retired is that I am doing more of the grocery shopping. Beginning around the start of covid, Margaret was doing shopping for her parents as well as us, so it was generally more efficient that she shop and I don't. However, that era is over and I now have more time. 
Today, I noticed these cookies. They likely tast the same as regular cookies but they are more interesting because they are hot wheels. I guess kids need more incentives to eat cookies than back in my day. I recall when the cookie was its own reward.