MICHAEL CLINGINGSMITH

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

MICHAEL CLINGINGSMITH It is with deepest sadness that we announce the sudden passing on August 9, 2008, of our beloved son and brother Michael Clingingsmith. Michael will be profoundly missed by his parents, John and Darcia Clingingsmith, his brother David Clingingsmith and sister-in-law Simona Mkrtschjan, his adopted aunt Paula McRobbie and adopted grandmother Hildegarde Kowalson, his aunt Bessalea and uncle Joe Reed McGhee, his uncle William Clingingsmith, and his many wonderful friends, particularly Bruce Coombs and Quintin Rybuck. Michael was predeceased by maternal grandparents Ilya and Barbara Hyndra and paternal grandparents William and Alice Clingingsmith. Michael was above all a tolerant, kind, caring, and creative person. His heart was always drawn toward those in need, whether people or animals. He particularly loved to create music and visual art. Michael graduated from Shaftesbury High School in 1990, studied anthropology at the University of Manitoba, and became a certified teacher of English as a second language. Michael spent several exciting and rewarding years in Indonesia and Malaysia during the latter 1990s, where he taught English both to children and adults, learned Indonesian and Malay, and developed a love for those cultures. He felt privileged to have met the orangutans while traveling through the rainforests of Borneo. He hoped to one day return to Bali, Indonesia, and live among its people and natural beauty. Michael was passionate about music, particularly the guitar, and in recent years spent much of his free time composing and recording his own work. Michael also loved his work at the Western Canada Aviation Museum, where he first coordinated activities for the museum's many volunteers. He then learned graphic design, which connected with his love of drawing and painting, and contributed graphic work and sound to the museum's exhibitions. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at Thomson Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity serving the welfare of animals, which Michael cared deeply about, such as the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter, 3062 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3K 0Y1 (www.petrescueshelter.com); or the Orangutan Conservancy, P.O. Box 513, 5001 Wilshire Blvd. #112, Los Angeles, CA 90036 USA (www.orangutan.net). THOMSON FUNERAL HOME 669 BROADWAY, WINNIPEG, MB R3C OX4 783-7211 Send expressions of sympathy at www.mem.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 14, 2008