Darwin “Dar” E. Alfrey was born in Didsbury, Alberta on September 2, 1931, to Bernard Alfrey (died 1969) and Martha Alfrey (died 1984) in the Carstairs, Alberta area. Growing up, he worked at a men's clothing store, delivered groceries, played AA baseball, and worked for the railroad as a telegraph operator near Lake Louise, Alberta. He eventually found a career with the Bank of Montreal and was transferred around the province for this position. In 1955 he was transferred to Westlock, Alberta where he met his future wife, Rita.
Rita J. Peterson was born on May 5, 1933, in Wetaskiwin, Alberta to the manager of the local Coop store (Edward Peterson, 1945-1999) and a homemaker (Winnifred Peterson, died 2006). She worked at Deer Lodge in the summer before finishing high school. After high school, she attended the Royal Alexander School of Nursing, graduating in 1955. During her work at the Immaculata Hospital in Westlock, she met Dar. The pair married on June 1, 1957, and moved to Bow Island, Alberta. Rita carried on with nursing, and Dar with banking.
They were soon transferred to Calgary, Alberta where their son, Dwight, was born in 1959. They were transferred to Regina, Saskatchewan in 1962, where their daughter Chris was born on August 27. Soon after, they were transferred again to Sioux Lookout, Ontario and then to Port Arthur, Ontario. In 1966, they were transferred back to Edmonton, Alberta where they remained. Dar worked with the Bank of Montreal, the Principal Trust Company, and the Alberta Treasury Branches, ending his banking career there.
Dar served on the executive of the Steele Heights Community League and on the executive of the Northeast Rotary Club in Edmonton for many years including work with Rotary International. He served as District Governor (District 536) in 1995-1996. Rita returned to nursing at the Royal Alexander Hospital in Edmonton, which by this time had become the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Rita took on various roles in the community, serving on the Parents' Advisory Board for different schools, the Boards of the Edmonton YWCA and Rotary Anns, and was part of the founding group for McClure United Church.
Rita was a creative person, spending her free time sewing, quilting, knitting, doing petit point, singing in the McClure choir, rug hooking, and many other creative pastimes. Rita and Dar enjoyed doing many things together including curling, dancing, meeting with their friends, cross country skiing and camping. Camping holidays were frequent during the years that Chris and Dwight were in school, and they often spent time in the mountains.
Dar Alfrey died on February 5, 2004.