Frank "Opa" Nemec

Opa, was an avid cross country skier, walker, curler, hunter, marksman, lover of horses and dogs, horseman, New England Patriots fan, Toronto Raptors fan, woodsman, lover of nature, driving fast in his MGBGT, entrepreneur, cook, avid story teller and last but not least, a ready sense of humour. He also had time to be a loving father to 6 children, grandfather to 10 grandchildren, and one great grandchild (deceased).

Opa, born in Roudnice, Czech Republic, in 1920, made his way to Montreal in 1950 via two years in Copenhagen. He received a special award from President Vaclav Havel for his services to the Czech Republic as a resistance fighter during World War II. Opa will always be remembered as his uncanny ability to escape certain death many times with only a scratch. Near the end of the war, he was fortunate to be wearing a heavy leather coat and facing away from the windows when a large bomb exploded nearby. He was thrown across the room but all the glass from the shattered windows embedded in his coat. He was able to walk away... In the early 1980's his crushed car appeared on the front page of the Montreal Gazette. It was the result of a truck trying to go under the underpass with too high a load. The container dislodged and Opa was able to roll away from the car just in time.

In his mid 80's, he fell down headfirst one flight of stairs at the Laurentien Lodge Club when someone inadvertently turned off the hall light at night. He was bruised, but he shook it off as an inexperience in mogul skiing. We could go on and on with how it just wasn't "his time". But sadly, last Saturday, after 99 1/2 years, it was time to join his beloved Christine.

Please join us in raising a glass to Opa to celebrate his 99 1/2 years.