ROLAND VERNE DE SCHUTTER

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ROLAND VERNE DE SCHUTTER
October 19, 1953 - July 14, 2021

It is with great sadness and true-to-form procrastination that we share the news of Roland's passing in Winnipeg at age 67. The De Schutter Middle Kid - 7 of 14 - made his exit with clever timing on 7-14-21.
Son of a Lion and a dedicated Matriarch, Roland was predeceased by his father Joseph (2013) and mother Marguerite (2010).
His quiet, quirky presence and wizardly demeanour - beard included - are deeply missed by his "One of One", daughter Stephanie Moski (Michael) of Winnipeg, his devoted brother and roomie Mark De Schutter of Wpg and his best friend of 40 plus years, Robert Evans and family of Thompson, MB. We are heartbroken while finding peace in knowing that although he didn't want to go so soon, he was not afraid to.
A brother to many, Roland is survived, loved and remembered by his 13 siblings: Julien (Glynis), Marguerite (Claude), Virginia (Jean), Janie (Roger), Louise (Jerry), Michael (Collette), Judy, Joey, Susan (Richard), Mark, Yvette (Donald), Leonard (Terry) and Tina, as well as many extended family members and longtime friends in Thompson, Winnipeg and beyond.
Born and raised in St. Boniface, there was no shortage of action being part of a big family. He loved the outdoors and pushed the limits with his siblings and friends, getting into questionable adventures around the neighbourhood. He was happy to have his brothers and friends tagging along to scale bridges, climb buildings and go junkyard treasure-hunting.
His late teens and early 20s took him fruit-picking in BC, beach-bumming in Hawaii and working random jobs before settling up in Thompson in 1976. After working two years for the Department of Highways, Roland started what would be a 30-year career at INCO in the nickel mine. He trained and worked as a Millwright and a Maintenance Mechanic both underground in the "Bat Cave" and on surface-level operations until his retirement in 2009. He enjoyed the reliable work, (most of) the people he worked with and the freedoms the job afforded him to support and spend time with his daughter. He never missed a birthday and always made the trip down from the North for occasions that were important to him, no matter the weather.
Summer shut-down at the mine was prime Father/Daughter road trip time, often visiting family and friends across Canada, seeing the sights and trying new things along the way. As a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter stories, it was a thrill in his retirement to visit the Wizarding World at Universal Studios and later take the trip of a lifetime to Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, where Hobbiton was a major highlight. (For the record, "Boots at the Beach Roland" caught a wave surfing before Steph did on that trip, so if you're looking for a sign to try something new and scary, here it is!)
A big music fan his entire life, Roland's eclectic taste spanning many genres made for epic mixtape soundtracks on any long drive or evening in with friends. You could count on hearing Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and other greats, heavily featured among more obscure artists. He loved a variety of movies and TV shows, especially fantasy, martial arts, sci-fi ("Live Long and Perspire!"), true crime, nature/space documentaries, with a healthy dose of "Wheel of Mis-Fortune" and Jeopardy! thrown into the mix. Video games were a love/hate relationship, resulting in many hours of fun with an occasional side of smashed controllers when he'd feel particularly humbled.
Often alone but never lonely, Roland always enjoyed the pleasure of his own company. He'll be remembered as a sweet-toothed chocoholic with a crossword puzzle at hand and a punny Dad-joke at the ready. He loved to share a good meal in good company and though often quiet, he wouldn't shy away from the occasional hot-button discussion. He was a living dictionary and a fountain for random information (useful or otherwise), often leaving folks thinking "How do you know that?…WHY do you know that?!"
He was a high-quality, low-maintenance, giant-hearted human. Strong, silent and steady. Clever, funny, patient and very forgiving and generous to those closest to him. A low-key, self-proclaimed introvert with a mind for puzzles and a preference for the simplest things, Roland never wanted to "be a bother", even to himself. It was rare for him to really open up and share emotion with those he cared about, which made it even more special when he faced his big fear of public speaking to give a heart-felt speech at Steph and Mike's wedding in 2018. Delivered like a complete natural, to boot! Whether he said it directly or not, coffee chats with friends, family dinners at Ma's and movie/MMA fight-nights with the boys were definitely the things he missed most since leaving the North.
There were many layers to the heart and mind of the man we knew and loved. Here's a little something he pondered in a notebook that feels apt to share and take onward with us:

"Time"

A concept created by man
to give structure to life.

Can we save time? We run around with all
these time-saving devices and what do we do
with the time we save? It can't be saved in a
bank, it can't be added to the end of our lives.
We try to fill it with keeping busy.

I say, if I save half an hour I'm going to waste
it because when it comes time for the big
sleep you will find you have still run out of
time, no matter how much you've saved."

-RVD-

You'll be loved, missed and remembered
"always and all ways", as you'd say. Boldly
go where no intergalactic rock 'n roll
space wizard has gone before! TTFN -
you're everywhere now and we can feel it.

A party to celebrate Roland's life will be held at a later date.
Those feeling called to donate in his memory may do so to CancerCare Manitoba or the Canadian Lung Association.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 14, 2021