It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Erich Witt of Duchess, Alberta, beloved husband of Helga Witt, who passed away on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, at the Brooks Health Centre, with his family near, at the age of 83 years. Erich was born on January 11th, 1943, in Buchenhagen, Germany, to Johannes and Leontine Witt. He immigrated to Canada in 1953 with his parents 3 and brothers, settling in the Picture Butte, Alberta area, where he and his family started working for sugar beet farmers. After he left school, Erich worked at a variety of jobs, including as a ranch hand, a grader operator, several jobs in the oil patch, and in a battery making plant in Calgary. While in Calgary, he started to court Helga Knodel, who was working as a nanny in Calgary. Erich had known her and her family since coming to Canada. They were married on February 19th, 1966, in Tilley, Alberta. In 1967, their first daughter Anita was born, a second daughter Donna followed in 1968 and, finally, Gregory was born in 1974. Meanwhile, they had moved to Duchess in 1972, where Erich started working for Alberta Transportation, running equipment and looking after the highways. Eventually, Alberta Transportation changed to Volker Stevin, where he became Foreman of Operations. Erich retired at the age of 61 years, as he had been diagnosed with kidney failure. He received a kidney transplant in 2008. In his retirement, you would find Erich tending his garden or searching for coins with his metal detector or woodworking in the garage. He also spent many years volunteering on the Duchess Fire Department, with the latter years working along side his son, Greg, until retiring in the early 2000's. He was predeceased by his parents Johannes and Leontine, brothers Alvin and Bert and son-in-law Daryl Morishita. Erich is survived by his wife of 60 years, Helga; children, Anita Morishita, Donna, and Greg; grandchildren, Micheal (Myranda), Melissa (CJ and their children Curtis, Carter and Cayson) Damon, Christopher, Joshua and Jesse. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 14th at 2:00 PM from Heritage Inn and Convention Centre. Rev. John Theiss officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be Erich's grandchildren, Melissa, Michael, Damon, Christopher, Joshua and Jesse. In memory of Erich, if friends desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to either Alzheimer's Society of Canada, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 1600, Toronto, Ontario   M4R 1K8 or the Kidney Foundation of Canada – Alberta Branch, 6007 1 A Street SW, Calgary, Alberta   T2H 0G5.

Cremation entrusted to and conducted at

Smith Funeral Home Ltd. and Crematorium, Brooks