Born May 5, 1910   |   Lodz (Lodzh), Poland

Died August 27, 1987   |   Calgary, Canada

He was a hard-working, uncomplaining man whose life revolved around providing for his family.

When the Nazis invaded Poland, Rachmiel—a schuster (shoemaker) who owned his own shop— ran away from his home in Lodz, crossing into the Soviet Union where he joined the Red Army. Proud to join the war against the Nazis, he was among the Soviet troops that liberated the Hungarian capital of Budapest early in 1945. He met his future wife Pola while stationed in Siberia.

Rachmiel and his younger brother Hershel are believed to have been the only survivors in their family. Married to Pola in 1945, Rachmiel received a memorable birthday gift one year later when their son Lorne (Leibish) was born in the Stuttgart Displaced Persons Camp on May 5. Rachmiel and Pola immigrated to Canada in 1948, settling in Calgary, where they welcomed their daughter Elsie in 1952. Rachmiel became known as Ralph and changed the family surname to Price because Przytycki was challenging for most Canadians to spell and pronounce. The early years were a struggle, as Ralph had little formal education and did not speak English. Fortunately, he was physically strong and hard-working. His first job was at the Alberta Shoe Hospital. Ralph later worked in a scrapyard before opening his eponymous business, Ralph Price Scrap Metal. Ralph never spoke of the war years but demonstrated that he had put the past behind him. One of the first people he hired was a veteran of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of the Third Reich. Tenderly cared for by his beloved Pola through a 16-year illness, Ralph passed away in 1987, predeceased by Elsie who died tragically in 1975. His legacy grew to include three grandchildren, one who also shares his birthday, and six great-grandchildren.