The Steinbach health community is mourning the loss of a man described as a visionary, a mentor and somebody with a strong conviction for health care. Garth Reimer, former Chair of the Bethesda Foundation, died peacefully at home on Sunday at the age of 69.

Reimer's obituary states that his commitment to his hometown of Steinbach was expressed in many ways, but perhaps the most significant was his decades of service to the Bethesda Foundation. The organization was founded by his father, but Reimer became Chair after his father's death in 1997 and continued in that role until shortly before his own passing. 

Darrel Penner served alongside Reimer on the Bethesda Foundation board for approximately 27 years. In describing Reimer, he refers to him as someone who had a strong conviction for health care. He says Reimer guided them through their goal of being a foundation of respect, integrity and trust.

"We obviously became very close friends," shares Penner. "If I had two people that I would call on a regular basis, he was one of them. It wasn't necessarily just about the Foundation; we were quite close."

Penner has now taken on the role of Bethesda Foundation Chair from his dear friend. He says though it will be a tough act to follow, Reimer left a legacy. 

Penner says Reimer was very committed to his role and calls it inspiring how he had the ability to work with potential donors, regional health authorities, local government and provincial governments. Penner says there are health facilities that exist today in Steinbach, thanks in large part to Reimer. That list includes the Crisis Stabilization Unit, the CancerCare and Birthing Centre, the Primary Care Centre and Stonebridge Wellness Centre.

The list does not end there. Dr. Curtis Krahn, who worked with Reimer for the last two decades says he was instrumental in getting the new ER built and helped raise the necessary funds to expand Rest Haven personal care home. 

"I think a lot of the projects that you have seen come to fruition in the last 20 years have happened largely under Garth's leadership," adds Dr. Krahn. "They may have happened otherwise, but they would not have happened at the same speed. Some of them may not have happened at all and I think it was Garth's gentle pushing that actually helped many of these come to fruition."

In April of this year, Reimer also took great pleasure in announcing plans for new surgical suites at the Bethesda Regional Health Centre, which will have a new ward that will be palliative-care friendly.

Dr. Krahn describes Reimer as gentle and compassionate. He says Reimer did not seem loud or pushy but rather had a very gentle and soft way of getting things done. Dr. Krahn says he was passionate about the things that he believed in and was a visionary.

"He could see things that perhaps other people could not see," says Dr. Krahn. "And he could also see a way through a problem in a way that very few other people that I know have been able to do."

Dr. Krahn says what he will miss the most is Reimer's optimism and his mentorship. 

"He had a really strong belief in people," adds Dr. Krahn. "He had a strong belief in me."

Dr. Krahn says he first really got to know Reimer while working in the chemotherapy unit in the basement at Bethesda, describing it as very small and cramped. Dr. Krahn admits that he had no reason to believe that Steinbach would be getting a new CancerCare facility anytime soon. But, then one day, Reimer and a few other Bethesda Foundation members came to him and asked for a tour. Dr. Krahn showed them their humble operation and was then asked by Reimer, what he would want to see in a new CancerCare facility.

"And that in me sparked an optimism, a hope for the future that there were actually people who cared and that there were people who could get things done," says Dr. Krahn. "And he indeed made sure that it did get done."

The funeral service for Garth Reimer will be held on Friday, September 1st at 11:00 am at Fort Garry United Church in Winnipeg. Public interment will take place on the same day, at 4:00 pm at Heritage Cemetery in Steinbach.

 

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