Wilfred Ohlmann

Wilfred John Ohlmann
March 25, 1939 - December 22, 2025

From the golden farmlands and chinooks of Alberta, our wandering soul began his journey.

Growing up on a farm, Wilfred John Ohlmann travelled across Canada in his late teens, arriving in Ontario to work as a drilling assistant before eventually opening his own Geotechnical and Environmental Drilling company, working across Ontario and in his beloved small villages in Canada’s Arctic for over 45 years. 

Wilf had an incredible work ethic and believed anyone could do anything if they worked hard. He never thought of it as “work” and thought each day was an adventure. 

In Ontario, he also met the young girl who would become the love of his life, Janice Eileen Snedden, whom he married June 23, 1962, sharing 63 years together in Appleton.

A deeply spiritual man, Wilf enjoyed nature: feeding the birds and watching wildlife that visited their feeders. 

When not working in the garden, he spent hours in his woodshed chopping wood or in his workshop making beautiful cradles, hope chests, rocking horses, photo frames, jewellery boxes, etc. 

He loved going for walks in the woods and a stroll through a forest trail with him was an education in discovering the tiny footprints of woodland friends, the names of flora and fauna, ancient remedies from bark or lichen, and respecting the earth and silence. 

Extremely well read, Wilf was respected and valued for his opinion on anything and everything, shared in his thoughtful manner. His stories around the table during family gatherings will be greatly missed.

Wilf will be fondly remembered by his wife Janice, sister Norma (Gordon predeceased), brother Hal (Elaine), brothers-in-law Ron (Rita predeceased), and Rod (Anne), and Kim Moffatt (Karen predeceased); and sisters-in-law Beth (Bob predeceased), and Cathy Stanfield (Cliff); son Brian (Doris) and daughter Anne (Kevin). 

Also predeceased by his parents John Jacob Ohlmann and Ella Schmidt of Onoway, Alberta, and his son Alan, and sister-in-law Delene and her husband Gerry.

He will be deeply missed by all his family and friends and his two grandchildren, Jordan (Laura) and Sydney (Tyler), and his great grandchildren: Haley, Sadie, Reece and Colin, and many nieces and nephews, as well as his much loved cat, Lucy. 

We will miss sharing a coffee and treats with you, your wildflower bouquets picked on your walks, that twinkle in your eye when you said something quietly amusing, and your calm inner strength. 

Thank you to all the PSW team from Bayshore Nursing, and doctors, nurses, and paramedics of Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital.

A private Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wilfred Ohlmann, please visit our floral store.