Wolfgang Ordung is celebrating a remarkable dual milestone. Widely known in the community as a vibrant long-time fixture behind the counter at Florence Meats on Spears Road in Oakville for more than 16 years, Ordung just celebrated his 90th birthday in June.
After 38 years of running his own butcher shop, Mari’s Delicatessen in Oakville, Wolfgang – or Wolf – decided to retire. But a decade and a half later, he realized he missed the daily bustle of the shop floor and the genuine connections he made with customers; he effectively un-retired, which brought him to Florence Meats.
“I’m feeling great. I can’t be any happier than I am right now with all of my friends and my customers that I have here that I’ve known, some of them for years and years and years,” he tells CityNews.
On Saturday, the shop threw him an appreciation party, recognizing not only his birthday but the many years of serving the community.
“We weren’t too far away from each other; we had separate businesses, but we had a similar customer base,” said Florence Meats owner Damien Goriup. “So, coming to work for us, he already knew a lot of the people that came in, and because we’ve been around so long, it’s generational; some of the people he’s helping he’s known since they were babies or that worked for him in his store.”
“He’s not just putting in time, he’s very busy. We look forward to him coming in. He has certain jobs that he does, and he fulfills those, and he keeps the rest of the employees positive,” added Goriup’s wife, Carol.
An endless stream of regulars stopped by on Saturday with birthday cards, gifts, and, of course, lots of hugs. The theme of the party “Hungry Like The Wolf,” with the man himself serving a variety of German-inspired sausages, an homage to his time living in Germany before immigrating to Canada in 1959. The event also served as a fundraiser in support of Oakville’s Lighthouse for Grieving Children.
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