Growing up with six younger siblings, Tina Pfeiffer was their fearless leader.
Described by her sister Margaret Darkow as passionate, fearless and strong, Pfeiffer grew up an army brat. They moved all over the world living in Germany, Texas, Minnesota, Winnipeg and Medicine Hat, among other places.
“She was tough on the outside, but she was really soft on the inside,” said Darkow in a Monday phone interview. “She loved people. She was a giving person.”
On Oct. 27, Pfeiffer, 50, was found dead in a West Park Crescent residence. A 26-year-old man has been charged with second degree murder.
“She really was our fearless leader,” said Darkow. “She took us swimming and we’d spend our summers out in lakes and outdoors the four of us girls.
“She used to ride a lawn mower; we had a big yard in Minnesota, so she’d ride the lawn mower and make paths and mazes in the grass for us to run along. In the winter, she made a huge fort and we’d have snowball fights.”
As family, they would play card games and sing together.
Her father retired from the army and became a preacher, which meant the family moved around a bit more eventually settling down in Medicine Hat when Pfeiffer was 18.
She lived with the family in southeastern Alberta for a few years before she set out on her own.
She moved to Calgary to pursue an accounting degree. She moved to Red Deer after earning her degree.
“She fell in love with Red Deer,” said Darkow. “She had lots of good friends there. She touched a lot of lives. There are a lot of lives she touched that she didn’t even realize she had.”
Pfeiffer leaves behind one son and many nephews and nieces who miss her terribly.
“She was very proud of Richard (her son),” said Darkow.
At about 4 a.m. on Oct. 27, Red Deer RCMP were called to a residence on West Park Crescent where they found Pfeiffer dead.
While on scene, police received a report of a man who was nearby and walking down the street in his underwear. Officers made a patrol and took Jordan Koizumi, 26, of Red Deer into custody.
Koizumi is charged with second degree murder.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Calgary determined Pfeiffer’s death was a homicide.
Koizumi appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Monday.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com