Obituary of Rudolf Christinger

Rudolf (Rudy) was an ironic blend of complicated and simple rolled into one man, very much like one of his favorite movie characters, Peter Pan.  He was a man of few words, usually a "yeah, yeah" was all you could get out of him, but when he got started on his "illustrious" Swiss military career, you couldn't get him to stop talking and his tales were of such epic proportions, you would think he was James Bond!  Rudy was the staunchest of staunch Swiss patriots, having left in 1975, but never giving up on his proud country, never allowing himself to become fully Canadian and always remaining steadfast in the belief that everything that ever came from Switzerland was nothing less than perfection!  He was the epitome of frugal, sometimes to a fault; his favorite line was "no, not for me", no matter who else might want something, especially when it came to gifts for others.  He loved six things, truly, wholly, and without wavering: fried chicken – he could have eaten it by the pound, beer – there was never a beer mug that was too heavy for Rudy, fishing – there was never a stream, river, or lake that he couldn't fish, even if it didn't exactly comply with regulations, baking – there wasn't a single baked good he couldn't replicate or make just a touch better, the Calgary Flames – he was a true "ride or die" fan from the moment his feet hit Canadian soil, and his beloved F1 racing – Ferrari was the be all and end all for him, no matter their standing or their driver. 

Rudy is survived by his wife of 36 years, Manuela, his daughter Anna (Bryce), and son Chris (Taunis).  He is also survived by his 5 grandchildren, who lovingly referred to him as Opa or Globi Opa – in reference to a cherished Swiss cartoon.   

At the behest of Rudy, he will be cremated and there will be no ceremony or memorial to celebrate his life.  His family will determine his final resting place at a later date.