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Sometimes, Gunn’s Bakery makes more than just bagels. It bakes love.
Krista Bodnaruk was taking Canadian history at the University of Manitoba when she decided to put a pause on her education and began working at Gunn’s full time in June 1998.
Krista, who died on Oct. 8 at 44 years of age, never went back to university. Instead, she stayed at Gunn’s, working her way up to assistant-manager while taking accounting at Red River College on the side.
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In 2011, a bakery customer decided Krista would make a great match for his brother, Don, so he got the pair together. Four years later, he was still a customer but also Krista’s brother-in-law.
Krista and Don were inseparable during their eight years of marriage, travelling and enjoying Winnipeg’s restaurants.
A year after Krista and Don got together, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And, a year after their marriage, the cancer had metastasized to other places in her body.
But the diagnosis, followed by numerous treatments, scans and tests, didn’t stop her.
As her family says “she faced this journey with extraordinary courage, poise, dignity, and sheer determination.
“Overcoming these obstacles meant she lived a life full of love, laughter and adventure.”
Krista is survived by her husband, her parents, brother, and her grandmother.
Read more about Krista.
How They Lived
Gwen Odidison was born in Jamaica and came to Canada in 1973.
Gwen, who died on Oct. 12 at 77 years of age, worked with Child and Family Services for more than two decades, positively impacting many families.
She also was passionate about children’s ministry and co-founded Jehovah Jireh 25 years ago.
Read more about Gwen.
Joe Kaufert was a social scientist in community health services.
Joe, who was 80 when he died on Oct. 2, helped develop the University of Manitoba’s social and preventive medicine department with his wife. He later became a professor there.
He contributed to federal policy development on organ donation, informed consent and end-of-life care for Indigenous people and people living with disabilities.
Joe also was passionate about magic since he was a child and was a long-time member of the Magic Club of Winnipeg, The Magic Circle, and the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Read more about Joe.
Helen Forlanski was in the Ninette Sanatorium with tuberculosis for five years.
They didn’t think Helen, who was 98 when she died on Oct. 10, would ever leave the facility, but was treated with antibiotics and recovered.
After finishing school, she worked at the Columbia movie theatre on Main Street in Winnipeg where she was known for letting less-fortunate kids in for free.
Later, she joined Paul’s Hauling and rose through the ranks to become vice-president of the trucking company.
Read more about Helen.
Audrey Morton was 40 when she decided her kids were old enough for her to go back to school.
Audrey, who died on Oct. 3 at 92 years of age, graduated from Red River’s Creative Communications program and became a freelance writer.
But she wasn’t gone from the college for long. Not long after she graduated, the college hired her to be its public relations instructor and then a full-time instructor.
Audrey later took on other roles with the college, including developing its first co-op program.
Read more about Audrey.
A Life’s Story
Ron Nobess never expected to become a champion for Manitobans with disabilities — it happened because he was a dad.
That’s because Ron, who died on Dec. 28 at 85, had a child born with autism back in 1967, a time when parents were encouraged to place children living with disabilities into institutions.
Instead, Ron and his wife raised their son at home.
Ron, his youngest son, Derek, and his wife, Jean, at the Vigor Humanitarian Awards where they received the Governor General of Canada medal for volunteers. (Supplied)
When the province tried to take away their son, the couple hired a lawyer to argue their son had rights — the case later resulted in the government creating the Vulnerable Persons Act, a landmark legislation which was the first in Canada.
Ron later worked to create Arcane Horizon’s first supported residential home in 1995.
“Ron Nobess championed the rights, not only for his son, but for all persons living with disabilities to be seen as competent and capable of meaningful contributions,” said Chris Bauer, Arcane Horizon’s executive director.
To read more about Ron’s life go here.
Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life’s story.
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