George Wiebe
Obituary
George (Gerhard) David Wiebe was born on December 25, 1927 in Rosenort, Manitoba, and died June 5, 2026, at West Park Manor Personal Care Home in Winnipeg.
His childhood was shaped by close family ties, hard work on the farm, and the enriching fellowship and congregational singing at Lena Mennonite Church. His first school was Victoria Lake School, and early hardship taught him a steady resolve and a love for community life.
In 1941 the family moved to Reinland, and then to the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. George stayed behind to attend Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna for grades eleven and twelve, where strong teachers, musical involvement and deep friendships were formative influences. At MCI he dedicated his life to following Christ. A photograph long carried in his wallet captures his teenage dedication to exercise and later appeared in Strength & Health Magazine.
At eighteen George taught on permit at Boggy Creek School, where he encountered Métis neighbours and Mennonite families influenced by Swedenborgian thought. He was baptized at West Abbotsford Mennonite Church in 1946, where he first directed a choir. He attended Vancouver Normal School, and taught in several schools.
Encouraged by his pastor, George enrolled at the fledgling CMBC (Canadian Mennonite Bible College) in Winnipeg in 1950, where he was immersed in choral music and biblical studies. He led the college Octet on tours to constituent congregations in various provinces and states, and it was at CMBC that he met pianist Esther Hiebert from Plum Coulee. George and Esther were married on July 12, 1953 in Winkler, beginning a lifelong musical and marital partnership.
After CMBC George studied with Ben Horch at MBBC (Mennonite Brethren Bible College) in Winnipeg, a mentor who also shaped his conviction about cooperation across Mennonite conferences. In 1954 CMBC appointed him to the faculty, marking the start of a 39‑year career teaching alongside Esther and shaping choral life across the denomination. George and Esther had four children – Robert Allan, Miriam Judith (who died in infancy), George Timothy, and Peter David – and wove family, faith, and music into the fabric of their home.
George deepened his craft through summer courses with Robert Shaw, and sabbatical studies at University of Southern California, NordWestdeutsche Musikakademie, and Indiana University. In 1979 he completed his doctoral degree at Indiana University with a dissertation on Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien.
George’s life work as a professor and servant of the Mennonite community unfolded in complementary paths, including training a new generation of church choir directors and worship leaders. He and Esther led annual choir tours that built bridges with constituent congregations and potential students, and collaborated with MBBC in oratorio performances and church music seminars which featured internationally recognized choral conductors. He also contributed to Mennonite hymnody, starting with his Master’s thesis and serving on four hymnal committees that produced English and German hymnals, the final project being Gesangbuch der Mennoniten for churches in Paraguay, published in 2007. He and Esther led the Faith and Life Male Choir, which made recordings and toured to South America and Ukraine.
After retirement George and Esther continued to serve congregations in Germany, Brazil, and Paraguay in church music roles. They also led the Stimmt An project, a recording of heart songs, built on his lifelong devotion to extended family. George and Esther grieved deeply the untimely death of their son Tim in 2019. The passing of Esther in 2023 was a profound loss, but George chose to invest in music, reading and his beloved community at Lindenwood Terrace. George delighted in his grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.
George’s personal faith in Jesus was at the centre of his life and music making. He was also an avid student of theology, especially the works of Karl Barth. He was a faithful member of Mennonite congregations in Winnipeg – Sargent Avenue, Springfield Heights, and Charleswood, where he gladly served in music ministry.
George is survived by his sons Bob (Verna) and Peter (Ruth), and daughter-in-law Marlene; 12 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, David and Margaretha (Ens) Wiebe; daughter Miriam (in infancy); son Tim; his wife, Esther; and several siblings.
“Nun Danket alle Gott!”
The family expresses deepest appreciation for the loving staff of West Park Manor Personal Care Home as well as Grace Hospital.
The funeral service for George Wiebe will be held on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at Bethel Mennonite Church, 465 Stafford St, Winnipeg, MB.
Interment will take place at Bloomfield-Rosewell Cemetery at Kronsgart, Manitoba.
