Obituary of Wayne Robertson

PHOTO ROBERTSON: It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Garnet Wayne Robertson (Wayne). Wayne passed away suddenly on September 2, 2016 at the age of 69 years. Wayne is survived by his loving wife Kathy and his children: Chris (Raji); Michelle (Bill) Trombley; Steve; Alicia (Rodney) Poitras and Mike. Also left to mourn are several grandchildren and one great grandchild; Wayne's siblings; his brother and sister-in-law's; as well as many other family members and friends. Wayne was predeceased by his parents Gerald and Patricia Robertson; his in-laws Bill and Evelyn Wiebe; his eldest brother John; his sister-in-law Gail and his brother-in-law Dennis. Wayne was born on August 11th, 1947 and he was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. He also spent some of his life living in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta and Vernon, British Columbia before settling back in Brandon in 1977. Wayne's school years were spent at Park School, Earl Oxford and Neelin Composite High School. During his school years, Wayne was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps. He later went on to receive his Red Seal certification as a Journeyman Bricklayer at Red River Community College. An avid fisherman, Wayne spent countless hours with family and friends at his favorite fishing spots; one of which resulted in him winning the CKLQ Pik-A-Dilly fishing derby in June of 1986. We cannot disclose the location of that of any of Wayne's fishing spots, so don't ask. Wayne had an artistic gift and was a craftsman of all sorts. He enjoyed creating art through his bricklaying and stonework, as well as candle making and ceramics. He was also a great handyman, able to build and create almost anything, but maybe not so great of an appliance repair man. Sorry Dad. Wayne was very active in sports as a child; he spent years playing hockey, baseball and various other school sports such as track and field. One of Wayne's most memorable times in sports was when he was chosen to be on a baseball all-star team that travelled to Saint Joseph, Missouri for the Championship games. They didn't win, but had an amazing time and a parade was held in the team's honour when they arrived back home. Besides participating in sports, Wayne was also a die-hard sports fan. He loved it when his grandsons joined hockey and his granddaughter joined softball. His favorite teams were the Montreal Canadiens, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees and the Brandon Wheat Kings. Wayne loved sports rivalries and teasing his brothers and pretty much anyone else who got in his way. He had a soft spot in his heart for his grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them. Wayne also liked visiting and going out for coffee with family and friends and he will be greatly missed. As per Wayne's wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no formal funeral service. Instead, a Celebration of Wayne's Life will be held for family and friends at Park Community Centre which is located at 1428 Louise Avenue in Brandon, Manitoba where Wayne had many fond memories as a child. The Celebration will be held on Sunday, September 25 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. If people so desire, a donation in memory of Wayne can be made to Kidsport Canada, 145 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 2Z6 or the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Program, online donations may be made at http://www.ctjumpstart.ca/waynerobertson, as sports was such a big part of Wayne's life.