MARJAN (M.J.) BRIAN CASAR

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MARJAN (M.J.) BRIAN CASAR

On Friday, May 24, 2019 Marjan (also known to many as M.J.) left us peacefully at the age of 56.
He was predeceased by his father Jozef, and has left behind his mother Julijana, brother Stan, sister-in-law Stephanie, nephew Dominic, and nieces Mercedes and Francesca.
Marjan was born and grew up in the north end of Winnipeg where he developed his drive and determination.
M.J.'s main passion was music. This started with a small drum set and a big afro. Early gigs were limited to playing Slovenian polkas where he made sure the beat was hopping for everyone on the dance floor in the church basement. The drum sets kept getting larger and the music louder as M.J. hit the rock circuit with his band "Ice". They managed to produce a '45 record (remember those?) with their hit single called "On The Radio".
He followed through on his craving for music by attending many rock concerts. He loved nothing more than to be in the audience enjoying his favourite bands. This included several "meet and greet" opportunities with Kiss, AC/DC, Van Halen, Aerosmith - and the list goes on.
Marjan celebrated his ethnic roots by visiting Slovenia a few times to meet with cousins, drain some wine barrels and help connect the dots for the Casar family tree.
M.J.'s drive for excitement and a sense of adventure eventually led him to a career in the Philippines where he was the head of operations for a large casino. The Philippines became M.J.'s second true love. He kept reminding us of the fringe benefits: balmy weather, palm trees, sandy beaches and new-found friendships. As his days wound down, he longed to be back there.
Marjan also used his motivation and focus to train for and finish no less than seven full marathons. He also completed a half marathon while in the middle of his illness. Did we say he was determined?
We will certainly miss Marjan's sense of humour. He always had a witty comment or two when getting together for a supper, concert or a sporting event. M.J. had a strong sense of commitment and caring towards both family and friends. A close friend recently said, "M.J. was and still is my best mate and one of the nicest guys I have ever known and he will be a great loss to everyone that knew him."
Marjan was short changed on time but lived life to the fullest!
Please join the family on Thursday, June 6 for a 4:00 p.m. mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Slovenian Church (95 MacDonald Avenue). Honorary pallbearers are: Michael Kaita, Steven Bembenek, Tom Dueck, Andrew Schwartz, David Schaffar and Harry Kallick. As per Marjan's request, this will be immediately followed by a Celebration of Life including dinner, refreshments and storytelling.
The care and support provided by CancerCare, Riverview Health Centre and Dr. F. Salem cannot be adequately described with words. Your compassion for our son, brother, uncle and friend is testimony to what healthcare can and does provide. It is for this reason that the family requests that donations be made to either CancerCare Manitoba or the Riverview Health Centre in lieu of flowers.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 01, 2019