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Zigmund “Ziggy” Magdee

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Zigmund Magdee

Zigmund “Ziggy” Magdee passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on May 10, 2022 at the young age of 95. He is now free to rejoin the love of his life, his wife Annie who predeceased him in 2013. Born to Joseph and Anna Magdy, Ziggy’s life commenced with humble beginnings on March 25, 1927 on a farm near Stenen, Saskatchewan. In 1945 he boarded a train at the end of WWII destined for Fort William, Ontario where he would make his biggest impact in his life and upon others.

In 1950, he met and married his wife Anne (nee Ochitwa) and together they enjoyed 62 years of wedded bliss. During his retirement they enjoyed winters in sunny Florida, Arizona and mostly Texas on North Padre Island.

Ziggy’s work resume included the Searle Grain Company, CNR, the Lorna Doone Restaurant, and a brief stint as a restaurant entrepreneur prior to becoming one of Fort William’s finest, joining the Fort William Police Dept. in 1951 as a constable walking the beat. He progressed through the ranks of the FWPD and then after amalgamation with the Thunder Bay Police. He retired as Superintendent in 1987 after serving 35 years with the police force.

It was in his early years in Fort William that one of his landlord’s introduced Ziggy to the game of golf. From that point on he was hooked honing his skills first at Municipal Golf Course in Rosslyn before joining Chapples Golf Course. He played there for almost 7 decades making many friends and acquaintances. Maintaining a single digit handicap for most of his playing days, one of his proudest moments was winning the Canadian Police Association Golf Championship in Calgary in 1973. Zig also enjoyed curling and spent many winter seasons at the Fort William Curling Club. In 2004 he skipped his Take-It-Easy Curling League team to an 8-ender.

Ziggy was a lifelong member of the Loyal Order of Moose and had competed in many oratory competitions in the 1960’s. He won best orator in 1965 in Chicago at Mooseheart. He was blessed with a photographic memory and was still able to recite passages right up to the time of his passing despite struggling with short term memory loss. He was an extremely creative man who wrote songs, limericks and his memoirs “On the Farm & Beyond” and “Fort William’s Finest”. However, he is remembered most by the positive impact and influence he had on people in all walks of life. He was an eternal optimist, a wise and generous gentle man.

In addition to wife Annie, Ziggy was predeceased by his parents, brothers Frank, Edward, Fred and Gus, sisters, Victoria, Isobel, Edna, Nellie and most recently Margie and her son James Antosiak. He will be sadly missed by his 3 children Brian (Barbara), Alan (Kerry) and Jo-Anne (Ron Ferguson), as well as, grandchildren Brett and Heather, Chloe, Erick and Nathalie. He is also survived by his sister Carol-Ann Cluff and sister-in-law Julie MacIver, nephew Norm MacIver (Lisa) and niece Susan MacIver, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life in honour of Zig will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 1:00 pm at the Slovak Legion, 801 Atlantic Avenue. Should friends so desire, donations may be made to the Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Simpler Times Cremation Centre, 575 Central Avenue, Thunder Bay.




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