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BILL BRIGDEN It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Bill Brigden on Sunday, January 16, 2005, at the St. Boniface General Hospital, at the age of 88 years. He will be remembered with love by his wife Marion; daughter Anne and her husband Ian Macdonald; son Rob and his wife Janice; and son Paul; grandchildren, Tyler and Ryan Brigden, Caitlin and Courtney Macdonald; brother-in-law Bill Patton; sisters-in-law, Blanche Parsons, Peg Brown, Donna Friesen; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Bill was predeceased by his brother Fred Rush and his wife June. Born in 1916 and except for his Second World War service, Bill lived all his life in Winnipeg. He graduated from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate in 1932, and was in the drafting and engineering fields for a few years. Hundreds of people have paddled the fine canoes and kayaks he designed and crafted until he was 83 years old. Bill excelled in sports, especially swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. He paddled thousands of miles on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers from the family home he built on the bank of the Red River in St. Vital and on Lake Winnipeg from the family cottage. Bill won many Canadian Canoe Association solo and team competitions in canoeing and kayaking, among them the famous Flin Flon Canoe Derby and the Manitoba Le Voyageur Race. He was a member of the Winnipeg Canoe Club where besides competing, he coached and helped many others in various aspects of the sport. Bill was one of the competitors to represent Canada in tandem kayaking in the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952. He was pleased to be an honorary member of the Manitoba Recreation Canoe Association and Canadian Canoe Recreation Association and was commended by them for his great contribution to the sport. Bill was honoured by the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. A celebration of Bill's life will be held on Friday, January 21 at 1:00 p.m. in Westwood Community Church, 401 Westwood Dr. Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations in Bill's memory may be made to a charity of one's choice. WOJCIK'S ALL BELIEFS FAITHS FUNERAL CHAPEL CREMATORIUM 897 - 4665
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 19, 2005
Condolences & Memories (3 entries)
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Dear Marion and Family, Gib lives out here in Vernon now and he and I get together most mornings for a very early coffee. We mostly spend our time boring our friends by telling them how good we used to be. Bill's name comes up a lot. We stayed in your attic in your brand new house when we came down for our first Le Voyageur race. I remember well the smell of fiberglass, blue canoes and bent paddle blades. Our sincerest condolences Norm and Gib - Posted by: Norm Crerar/Gib McEachern (Friend) on: Jan 22, 2005
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We were sorry we missed the news of Bill's passing. We would have been there at the celebration of his life. We remember the care he took in building us four (yes, four!) canoes. We still have one, one we left in Tuktoyaktuk, one we left in Ottawa and one we gave to a very good friend. - Posted by: MIKE AND JANET RILEY (Friend) on: Jan 22, 2005
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Dear Aunt Marion, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of my favorite Uncle. As a child I loved him, as an adult I respected him and yes, the love was there too. I will always remember him in my prayers and thoughts. I will call soon, Love Chicky - Posted by: Marrianne Badley (Family) on: Jan 19, 2005