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DONALD WAYNE WORTMAN It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Donald Wayne Wortman, 63, of Winnipeg. Wayne was among the most gifted individuals, his intelligence and creativity making accomplishments casual for him and awesome for the rest of us. At the age of 17 he began his first teaching position, and then he followed his spiritual leanings to become Brother Joseph of Bethlehem, Order of the Holy Cross, in Santa Barbara, CA for 12 years. He returned to the secular world and continued to work and live in the US until rejoining family in Winnipeg in 1987. He was an employment counselor at Workers' Compensation Board and lately was working as a counselor at Path Resource Centre. During his lifetime he became a wonderful artist, musician, linguist and family historian with too many other interests to list. However, as so often happens, the chosen among us are also given the most difficult challenges, and at the end Wayne's challenges overcame him. Left to mourn are his loving mother Florence Wortman, his brother Cameron (Leita) Wortman, his sisters, Lynda (Les) Janzen and Sandy (Lorne) Tyson. Also, his nephews, Jerrit Janzen and Jason (Anna) Janzen, his nieces, Shauna Wortman, Tanya Wortman (Jason), Jana (James) Lutes and Andrea (Evan) Douglas. He was predeceased by his father Donald Wortman, sister Marilyn (Rod) Morrison and his nephew Steven Morrison. Services will follow cremation at Transcona Funeral Home, 1800 Day Street, at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 26, 2007. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations please be made to Canadian Diabetes Association.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 23, 2007
Condolences & Memories (5 entries)
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Don did not drive, he was so tall I would have to remove the T top from my corvette when we went anywhere in Santa Barbara. Every Easter he would spread a quilt on the small lawn at his apartment and serve white cross buns and tea for my wife (Pam) and I (Ken) He invited my wife and I to his Russian Orthodox Baptism. That was a very enjoyable experience. We still have his hand drawn invitation. He was so tall he loved carrying our son Jesse around. Don, Kirk Nelson (Pam's brother whom just passed also May, 2024) Ken Campbell and Pam Campbell had many adventures in Santa Barbara, CA. Unfortunately loss touch with Don after he moved. He will be missed. - Posted by: PAMELA M CAMPBELL (Friend ) on: Sep 03, 2024
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Wayne Wortman was a classmate of mine at St. Ignatius School in Winnipeg Manitoba in the 1950s. He was such an interesting character. We had the most interesting conversations, and in grade 8 - -we had several interesting projects - building a roman bath for history class for example. The year Sputnik was launched our teacher, Sister Frances Cabrini let us do a great science project. He was part of the project we did to build an actual telescope. It worked! Wayne was a kind, decent guy who really loved life and all the things we were discovering about the universe. We lost touch after we began attending high school, but I have often thought of him as a really amazing quality person who had so much to offer in this world. I was very saddened to learn he had passed away, I would have loved to have been able to re-connect with him. - Posted by: Louise Graham(nee McDougall) (school friend) on: Apr 23, 2020
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"Brother Joseph' came to Charlottesville, Virginia in the 1970's to Church of Our Saviour to lead a Bible School. He was a big hit. So interesting, funny, smart, talented, and creative. A terrific teacher. Unforgettable to all those who attended. His family was very special to him. - Posted by: Charles and Sharon Hamner (friends) on: Apr 10, 2018
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I guess I'm always a little late and this just broke my heart. Both my wife, Dr. Irene S. Gardner and myself knew Don for many years in Santa Barbara. He was funny, brilliant, enjoyable and a very good friend. We missed losing touch with him and to this day I remember the last conversation I had with him, at the bus station in Santa Barbara. Don, keep writing those Baroque (he denied they were) poems for Heavenly Father. Miss you bro!!! - Posted by: JOHN S. GARDNER (FRIEND) on: Dec 30, 2015
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He was extremely creative and smart. I think he spoke seven languages fluently. He had been in the monastery and then became interested in the Russian Orthodox Church. He painted Russian icons, and I'm not kidding you he was good. I'd go in to his apartment and he'd have them on an easel. He attended a Russian church in Santa Barbara. We talked about women quite a lot. He never had a car that I knew of. I met him at an AA meeting and I ended up working at the phone company GTE where he worked. Don was a very dear friend, he will be missed. - Posted by: Kirk Nelson (friend) on: Jul 17, 2013