We Remember

TOPF, Dieter Gerhardt

April 8, 1935 — September 13, 2018

Adored by his family and friends, Dieter Topf passed away suddenly last Thursday at the age of 83. While Dieter had been in frail health, his death came as a shock to all who knew him. Born in Berlin, Germany in 1935, Dieter emigrated to Vancouver in the early 1960s. Within a short time, he met his future wife, Yvonne, an Englishwoman who had travelled to Vancouver for a work experience, but ended up marrying Dieter, a dashing young German with a Volkswagen Beetle and a passion for skiing. In 1969 Dieter was offered the chance to move to Winfield to help manage Vanguard, an RV firm that started in Richmond. After a few years Dieter and his business partner, the late Gunter Gahrns, struck out on their own and started Frontier Manufacturing. The company was very successful, so much so that B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison decided to buy them out. Pattison eventually sold the merged company, leaving Dieter at a crossroads. He tried his hand at real estate, then ran a dry-cleaning store for several years before retiring full-time. Yvonne and Dieter were very happy in retirement, taking many trips together and enjoying their beautiful home overlooking the lake in Magic Estates. A plan to live out their last years together in a downsized townhouse went awry when Yvonne died of cancer in January 2018. Her loss was a big one for Dieter, making the last few months very difficult for him. His family is very grateful for the support of good friends who rallied around him during this time. Dieter is survived by his son Andrew, daughter Christina and son-in-law Philip Burns, brother-in-law Stuart Cook, sister-in-law Charlotte Kushner and nephews Jeremy and Daniel Cook. A celebration of Dieter’s life will be held at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Rd, Kelowna, BC on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 10:00 am. The family requests no flowers. If you wish to send a condolence, post photos or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Share Your Condolences.”

Service
Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 10:00 am

Location
Springfield Funeral Home

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Service Information

Service Details


The service for TOPF, Dieter Gerhardt is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 10:00 am. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.

Address & Contact for Service Location:

Springfield Funeral Home

2020 Springfield Rd. Kelowna

Phone:

Special Requests:

None.

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Condolences

  • Pat McCutcheon says:
    September 19, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    To Andrew, Christina and Philip;
    I am sorry to hear of Deiter’s passing. I will always remember the twinkle in his eyes, his sense of humour, and his commitment to his family. He wil be missed. Sincerely – Pat McCutcheon

    Reply
  • Pat McCutcheon says:
    September 19, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    To Andrew, Christina and Philip;
    I am sorry to hear of Deiter’s passing. I will always remember the twinkle in his eyes, his sense of humour, and his commitment to his family. He will be missed. Sincerely – Pat McCutcheon

    Reply
  • Jane Wilson says:
    September 24, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    So sorry to hear about the loss of Dieter. He was a wonderful person, I have so many great memories spending time with all of you, so many of them with Dieter leading the way. Skiing, water skiing, and a terrific trip to the Cathedral Mountains, he made everything so much fun even when we were a little misplaced. . I have included 2 pictures, the first shows Dieter hiking the trestles with Andrew and my brother Mike. The second is one of many Christmas dinners we spent with the Topf family. Once again I feel I have lost a part of our family, my love and thoughts are with you. Jane

    Reply
  • Dale Fromberg says:
    September 25, 2018 at 7:23 am

    I would like to express my condolences to the family of both Dieter and Yvonne Topf. I worked with Yvonne as secretary for Kelowna Community Concerts for a time many years ago. I enjoyed working with her and admired her dedication to Community Concerts. During that time I had the pleasure of meeting Dieter and always enjoyed having a chat with him. My thoughts are with you.

    Reply

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They took care of me like family.

Judith Szabo

Everything was so organized and pertinent to what we needed. Everyone we met was kind, courteous and very helpful during our emotional and challenging time. Thank you so much.

Heather Mayne

They were so prompt on answering any questions and changing things. They were prepared and respected any religious decisions. The process was so seamless and made easy in such a high stress situation.

Tanya Kohar

In the past 2 years Springfield has helped us through the death of my Mother and my Father. Their response and help allowed us to focus on the remaining family rather than worrying about details of the funeral and all the notifications that are required upon a death.

Terry Eldridge

The atmosphere has been nothing but professional during times of grief.  After the passing of my mother, the staff coached me on the next steps and looked after filling in all the government forms that I needed to sign, which took a huge burden off my mind at the time.

Donald McClure

Everyone was so helpful and kind.  There was no pressure.  They provided exactly what we needed.

Diane Greenwood

From the time I called to the completion of all the services, I received compassionate, attentive and professional care.  There was a sense of caring from each staff member.  I was turning over my Mom to their care and I felt very comfortable with everyone.  I felt heard and never felt pushed into any decision.

Katherine Lewis

I have always found the team at Springfield Funeral Home to be VERY caring, kind, considerate and helpful.  I have and will continue to recommend them to anyone who asks which funeral home would I suggest they use.  No other funeral home I have dealt with even comes close to Springfield Funeral Home.

Ethna Tutt

Right at the onset, I was made very comfortable, there was no pressure.  I was made to feel as if I was the only one they had to serve.

Frances Baum

Everything that was arranged for us was perfect.  Our loved one, husband, father, brother was treated with respect.  Thank you for making this difficult time a little more acceptable via your staff’s obvious caring and respect.

Jacquelene Bluschke