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You could say Jason Conway was born to be a Mountie.
Jason, who was 39 when he died Oct. 24, was born to parents who were both members of the RCMP. Even his uncle served with the RCMP.
He was born in Brandon, where his parents were stationed at the time, along with his sister. After his parents split up, he lived with his dad in Winnipeg in 1992, while his mother and sister went to a posting in Teulon.
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Jason developed a love for basketball and the NBA — spending hours shooting hoops in the driveway and dreaming of professional stardom. He also watched the movie Space Jam, with basketball star Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes characters, so many times his family says he nearly wore it out.
But it was when Jason moved to live with his mom during middle school that his life changed. He met Carli who fell in love with “the new guy with the gift of gab.”
“That was the beginning of their 22-year love story and this summer they celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary,” his obituary reads.
Jason started to take courses at university, but the pull of wearing the red serge was in his blood. He was only 19 when he received the call to go to Depot in Regina and a year later graduated as a Constable.
Jason spent four years posted McCreary, Ste. Rose du Lac, and Oakbank-Beausejour detachments before joining the Major Crime Division in Winnipeg.
He spent 15 years there before his death, getting many convictions as well as “the respect and admiration of his peers and Crown attorneys alike.” Jason was even nominated by the RCMP to receive the King Charles III Coronation medal for his work.
But while Jason accomplished many things with the RCMP, his family says his proudest achievement was his son and his greatest joy was making memories with both his boy and his wife.
Besides Jason’s wife and son, he is survived by his mother and father, sister, and other relatives.
Read more about Jason.
How They Lived
Marion Lewis helped babies survive throughout the developed world.
Marion, who died Oct. 18 at 100 years of age, was credited as co-founder of the Rh Lab.
She was hired in 1944 by Dr. Bruce Chown to develop the methods and protocol for the lab and then helped him do the research which resulted in the discovery of a treatment for Rh disease.
The discovery reduced the mortality rate of babies with the disease from 50 per cent in the 1940s to almost zero in the developed world.
Besides being scientific director of the lab, she worked as a professor in the University of Manitoba’s departments of pediatrics and human genetics and as section head of blood group serology at the Health Sciences Centre.
Marion was inducted into the Order of Canada for her accomplishments.
Read more about Marion.
John Prentice was a legend in folk music.
John, who was 78 when he died Oct. 11, volunteered for 50 years at the Winnipeg Folk Festival — but it wasn’t the only festival he helped.
He was a volunteer at the Canmore, Calgary and Edmonton Folk Festivals, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and the Winnipeg Jazz Festival. He also sat on the boards of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, West End Cultural Centre, and the Old Grace Housing Co-op.
John hosted Planet MainStage on UMFM, and, due to him being a member of the then newly formed Winnipeg Film Group, and helping film the second Winnipeg Folk Festival, he helped create the documentary When We Became Folk Fest.
Read more about John.
Susan Hoplock’s happy childhood was marked with tragedy.
Susan, who died Oct. 20 at 80 years of age, was only 10 when her dad died after the Trans-Canada Air Lines flight he was on crashed into a mountain. At the time it was Canada’s worst air crash.
After high school, she worked first at Canada Trust, moving into human resources management, and later working in senior government positions, serving two provincial premiers.
Read more about Susan.
Nick Martin spent his entire career as a reporter.
Nick, who was 77 when he died Oct. 15, began working at York University’s student newspaper before ending up at the London Free Press and then the Winnipeg Free Press — but it’s a whodunnit if he ever retired.
That’s because, after being the education and legislature reporter at the Free Press, he continued to write a mystery book column and book reviews until he died.
And, in his spare time, in a nod to his birth in England, Nick also refereed local soccer games for years.
Read more about Nick.
John Damianakos’ obit says he will be remembered for his honesty and hard work — but he also helped many people have Greek dinners.
That’s because John, who was 87 when he died Oct. 25, was the J in the former J&H Restaurant — his wife Helen was the H.
John and his family opened the restaurant on Portage Avenue in 1976 and ran it for four decades before selling it.
Read more about John.
Lyle Wilcox had a long retirement.
That’s because Lyle, who died Oct. 17, worked at the CPR for 42 years and lived until he was 99, meaning he was retired for 43 years.
“That can’t be right,” he would joke.
Along the way, during his long life, he created the Railway Memories video series for Shaw Cable, was a councillor and mayor of Lac du Bonnet, founded the Flashbacks seniors’ baseball team, and was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame with his team the Plum Coulee Pirates.
Read more about Lyle.
A Life’s Story
Ernie Oliver helped seniors continue to enjoy curling as they aged.
Ernie, who was 89 when he died in February, popularized the sport of stick curling in the province and country.
He began going to curling clubs to encourage them to try the sport, which sees two-person teams pushing a rock with a stick from a standing position or while in a wheelchair.
Ernie Oliver, who was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame as a Builder, died in February at the age of 89. (Supplied)
“His thing was always that when people get older, they can’t get into the hack anymore,” his daughter Roberta Oliver said.
“He did it so the older people, who loved curling, could still curl.”
For his efforts, Ernie was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame.
Read more about Ernie’s life.
Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life’s story.
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