News

KITCHENER, Ontario, May 6, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-life Conservative MP Harold Albrecht is mourning the unexpected loss of his wife of 39 years, only days after he was re-elected in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding in Ontario.

Image

Mrs. Betty Albrecht collapsed on the floor of the couple’s home Monday night just before leaving for her husband’s re-election party.  An announcement from Albrecht’s office yesterday confirmed that Betty passed away Wednesday at the Hamilton General Hospital as a result of a spontaneous intracranial hemmorrhage suffered the night of the election.

Friends and political leaders have testified that Betty, 59, was her husband’s loving support and “rock” during his years in office since he was first elected in 2006.

“Those who know Harold, know of the tremendous esteem in which he held his wife, speaking often of her love and support, both in private and in public,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a statement yesterday. 

“Betty was everything Harold had described: kind, caring and generous in her spirit. The prime minister and his family offer their deepest condolences to Harold and his family as they grieve her passing.”

Since his initial election, Harold Albrecht has been a prominent pro-life figure in Parliament.  He has been a regular attendee and spokesman at the National March for Life in Ottawa, as well as the Rose Banquet. 

In 2009, Albrecht spearheaded a private members bill to criminalize online suicide counselling.  Motion 388 was passed unanimously later that year.  He has also served as the Conservative co-chair of a Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC) established in 2010 as an outcome of the defeat of an assisted-suicide bill.

Last year, Albrecht voted against the Liberal motion to include abortion in the government’s G8 maternal health care plan and he was one of many MPs to object to abortionist Henry Morgentaler being awarded the Order of Canada.

“I believe in the value of life,” said Albrecht of his work on the Palliative and Compassionate Care committee and his interest in pro-life.

Albrecht always spoke highly and lovingly of his wife Betty to friends and colleagues.  On Valentine’s Day in 2008, Albrecht rose during an appointed time in the House of Commons to pay tribute to his wife.

“While the list of those who have influenced my life and encouraged me along my journey is a long one, there is one person to whom I am most indebted and who deserves great thanks on this very special day: My wife Betty,” he said.

“I will never be able to thank Betty for her faithful commitment over the past 36 years, but today I want her to know how deeply she is loved. I am grateful that God has blessed my life with her as my best friend and wife.”

Harold and Betty Albrecht were parents of three and grandparents of nine.

Fellow Conservative MP in Cambridge-North Dumfries, Gary Goodyear, said, “Betty always put others first and was a source of joy to everyone who knew her. She touched our hearts and we will miss her greatly.”

“Betty was loved by everyone,” Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran told the Waterloo Region Record. “She loved life, and she loved her husband.”

“She has made Canada a better country and enriched my life in incredible ways,” said Albrecht.

For visitation and funeral details, click here.