WESLEY C. LORIMER

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WESLEY C. LORIMER Further to the notice published on March 5 in this paper (search under Wesley C. Lorimer), on March 3, 2010 Wesley C. Lorimer O.M. died after a long and distinguished career in education, mainly in Manitoba. He was predeceased in 2005 by his wife, Myrtle, after a long and happy marriage of 65 years. His three children, James, Rowland, and Elizabeth wish to announce that a memorial celebration of his life will be held in the Rotation Room of the Assiniboine Park Pavilion on June 3 at 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. They would be greatly honoured to see Wes and Myrt's and other family friends and relatives at the service. Born April 19, 1913 in Regina as a first child, Wes and his siblings had a trying childhood after their mother died when he was aged seven. One child was given up for adoption and three others spent at least one winter in Salvation Army hostels near Leeds, UK. At 18, Wes was teaching school, the same year he met the very lively Myrtle Moore as a result of alphabetical seating in Normal School. At 27 (when they could afford to do so, and on the last day of school) they married. Wes served as an instructor in the RCAF and, with DVA assistance, attended Teachers College at Columbia University, where he earned an MA and Ed.D. Later he received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba and later was recognized with an appointment to the Order of Manitoba. Wes became Superintendent of Winnipeg Schools in 1953 and was invited to become Deputy Minister of Education in Manitoba in 1967. After retirement Wes and Myrtle divided their time mainly between Winnipeg and Florida travelling between the two locations by car driven at speeds that matched in miles per hour, their age in years. At age 85 they took up commuting by air. In late 2004 Myrt and Wes moved to Vancouver where Rowland had the precious opportunity to come to know his father after he shed all burdens of responsibility. He was thoughtful of others, ironic, generous, and retained his intelligence and encyclopedic knowledge into his 90s. He was better able to express emotion in old age and he announced three days before he died that he had decided to move on.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 29, 2010