LORENCZ, Johnny

In Loving Memory of John Albert Lorencz JOHNNY LORENCZ, beloved husband to the late Irene Lorencz, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Legacy Lodge after a short but intense battle with Prostate Cancer. He was 93 years old.
He was the loving father of Deborah Lorencz of Lethbridge, Bev Lorencz of Lethbridge and Cal Lorencz (Stephanie) of Shoreacres, B.C.; grandfather to Amy (Toby) Rombough of Raymond, Lisa McCutcheon of Lethbridge and Kayli Lorencz-Biegler of Lethbridge; great-grandfather, “Papa Johnny”, to Logan Rombough of Raymond, Brooklyn Rombough of Raymond and Georgia Gorzitza of Lethbridge.
Johnny was born at home in rural Saskatchewan near Cupar. He was the first son to Mary Nemeth, and was raised by his grandparents Barbara and Frank Lorencz. They moved to Shaughnessy, Alberta where he began school. His early life consisted of working on the farm and playing hockey. He grew up with many aunts and uncles who were all like brothers and sisters to him.
His uncles introduced him to music where he learned to play guitar. He tagged along and even performed with their band in the Crowsnest Pass. Eventually he relocated to the Pass where he took jobs working in the local mines.
He met Mom (Irene) in 1950 and they were married shortly thereafter.
After some time driving a dump haul truck building roads around Alberta and southeast B.C. they finally settled in Lethbridge where he managed local service stations until they bought their own station and named it “Circle J Husky”.
Through that endeavour, he met many other businesspeople and decided to join forces with other businesses, leaving the service station to manage an ICG Canadian Propane Service Station & Car Wash. Eventually he worked at Custom Engine and Parts as a salesman, where he retired.
In the early 1970’s, Johnny organized the Industrial Hockey League, a raucous full-contact hockey league in the City of Lethbridge. In 1976, he joined the Lethbridge Bone Crushers hockey team where he played until the team disbanded in 1983. Johnny then joined the Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association, playing twice a week in a four-team league. At age 87, he was honoured as the oldest hockey player in Alberta by the Alberta 55 Plus Society. Johnny was known for a killer wrist-shot and scored many goals! He participated in the Alberta Summer and Winter games as well as yearly tournaments in Vernon B.C. He continued to play hockey until he was 90 years old.
Our Mother had a stroke in 1995 and he lovingly cared for her at home for two years. During those years, he turned once again to the music that had been so key in his earlier years. He got back to practicing and playing guitar and met other musicians. Eventually Johnny formed several bands, entertaining at numerous seniors’ residences, as well as many jamborees in Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana.
Joining the South Country Jamboree Society in April 1998, along with Faye Bosch and Keith Clark, they began to play for the Old Tyme Dance Club, and even played for the Pemmican Club Ball. He was a member of the South Country Jamboree Society for 23 years, and became president in 2010 where he remained until the club disbanded in 2021. Johnny played a final concert from his bed just a few weeks before his passing.
Johnny was our true patriarch and by example taught us many things. In his final lesson on August 26th, having already shown us how to live life well and to the fullest, he showed us how to, gently and with dignity, pass from this life into eternity.
And so, this is not goodbye to our wonderful Dad, it is just ‘until we meet again’.

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