Winnipeg ‘lost a hero’: Victims’ rights advocate Floyd Wiebe dies

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This article was published 01/12/2015 (3811 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Floyd Wiebe, an advocate for victims’ rights, died suddenly Monday night.

A statement by his family said Wiebe, 61, died following a catastrophic heart attack.

Floyd and his wife, Karen, founded TJ’s Gift Foundation to help educate youth in choosing a drug- and gang-free life and to honour the memory of their oldest son, TJ, who was killed in 2003.

The 10th anniversary TJ’s Gift Gala is set for May 19, 2016 to raise funds to support peer-led drug-education programs for youth.

“Well Winnipeg you lost a hero last night,” Chad Wiebe, the couple’s son, said in a tribute message about his dad posted Tuesday on Facebook. “My dad passed away from a heart attack last night just a week before his first grandson is supposed to show up. He had a lot of love and knowledge still to give and will be missed by many.”

In the family’s statement, Floyd was described as “a tireless advocate for victim rights.”

“Floyd was much beloved by his family and was very excited to have his two remaining children, Stacey and Chad, married in the summer of 2014, where he officiated at Stacey’s wedding. He was looking forward to the birth of his first grandchild in just a week and to his second in April. He was married to his wife, Karen, for 40 years. Floyd will be very missed by all who knew him and all who benefited from his advocacy on their behalf,” the statement read.

Floyd worked locally with the Manitoba Organization for Victim Assistance as well as within the provincial justice system. His efforts reached throughout Canada as he assisted in creating the Canadian Victim Bill of Rights. He was the first chairperson for the Victim Advisory Council to the Parole Board of Canada, Prairie Division, where he helped support victims of homicide. He served as vice-president of the Compassionate Friends, Canada for many years. He received the Queen’s Jubilee Award for his support of victims and his work to help kids avoid drug involvement.

James Turner, a former Winnipeg Free Press reporter who covered stories involving the Wiebe family, said Wiebe always maintained a commitment to fairness, despite what his family went through in losing TJ.

“Floyd also had a deep concern for victims of crime and their surviving family members. It wasn’t unusual for Floyd to contact me hoping to get in touch with a family who had been involved in a tragedy so he could try to help them out — support them in any way he could. He never wanted credit for it, just wanted to work quietly and do what he could to support them,” Turner said in an emailed comment.

“I learned a lot from Floyd about trying to be respectful of victims and families suffering in the wake of a tragedy. He always acknowledged reporters had a job to do, but was adamant that they act respectfully. That always stuck with me. He was a truly decent man.”

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca