
August 27, 1934 - March 5, 2025
Wife Shirley Ruth (McMann) Bertram
Beloved father of Brian Bertram (Mary Murray), Bev Hambling (Greg), Kevin Bertram (Vicky), Darrell Bertram (Tara)
Grandchildren; Tyler, Dillon, Kristan Wahl, Jared (Maddie), Zachery, Cianna (Max), Lee (Chelsey), Megan, Beth Piercy (Glen), Sarah Straus (Shane), Cole (Mary), Hayden (Carlie), Mackenzie (Mike)
Great-Grandchildren; Maverick, Pierce, Finnley, Charlie, Myles, Holly, Hunter, Kevin Jr., Lee Jr., Bailey, Luke, Ben, Barrett, Riley.
Survived by sisters Lois Sinclair and Hilda Jorgensen
Predeceased by parents, Laurie and Lydia (Robertson) Bertram.
Predeceased by Siblings: Waldon (Irene) Bertram, Betty Howatt (Stirling), Gordon Bertram (Mildred), Carl Bertram (Edwina), In Infancy, Grafton Lee, Ernest and Carol Bertram. Also predeceased by Brothers-in-Law Eric Sinclair, Robert Jorgensen and Stirling Howatt.
Grafton was born on a small farm in Hazel Grove, PEI to parents Lawrence (Laurie) and Lydia Bertram. Grafton attended a small schoolhouse in PEI when it was stated that he was kicked out in Grade 5 for getting into a fight with his teacher. He went to work for his Uncle Lou driving gravel trucks. His desire to see the world was strong and at the age of 17, Grafton, and friend Lou MacEachern traveled West to Alberta. Times were hard and money was tight, Grafton worked at various jobs delivering groceries and working construction. It was during this time that one of his bosses nicked named him George, and the name stuck.
George had an opportunity to work in the Oil and Gas Industry. In 1957 George got a job overseas with British Petroleum. During his leave from the Middle East in 1958, he met the love of his life Shirley. He told her that if she could cook fried chicken the way he liked, he would marry her and take her overseas. Mom didn’t burn the chicken and six weeks later he married her on August 26, 1958, and took her overseas. In 1960, they returned to Canada. That same year George purchased his first Drill and started Bertram Drilling. The company grew as did his family, employing upwards of 500 people at its peak with operations spanning across Canada and USA, as well as South America and Russia.
George had a love for life, making many lifelong friends along the way while enjoying travel, hunting, fishing, curling, a passion for golf and playing cribbage. Everyone in the room knew when he won a crib game, and he would usually count his opponent’s hand long before they knew what they had. One of his favourite lines was “even me with my grade 5 education can figure that out”.
George passed away peacefully on March 5 at 1:15pm in the Red Deer Regional Hospital with his loving wife of 66 years by his side.
Celebration of Life will be held Friday, March 14, 2025, at 1:30 P.M. at the Carbon Community Hall, Carbon, Alberta. There will be a luncheon to follow. If friends so desire memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. The service will be presented on Courtney-Winter’s Funeral Home’s website for those that cannot attend.