DANIEL SEAN AUGUSTA

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DANIEL SEAN AUGUSTA

May 8, 1989 - May 26, 2023

On May 26, 2023, Daniel Sean Augusta of Winnipeg passed peacefully at home with his family at his side. He will be deeply missed by parents, Kevin and Brenda Augusta, brother Scott, aunt Shelley Augusta, uncle Dean (Elaine) Byers, cousins, Erin, Ryan, Mandy, and Ty, an extended family across the country, and many friends. Dan was memorable - you couldn’t meet him and not remember him.



Dan had a great sense of humour. He saw the world through glasses just slightly askew and all who knew him experienced his comedic timing, storytelling skill, and love of the pun. Along with co-conspirators Jessy Ardern and Ariel Levine, whom he met through The Shakespeare Company at Manitoba Theatre for Young People, he co-founded The Struts and Frets Players. Their mission was to breathe new life into old stories and share them with a wider audience. This collaboration resulted in six Winnipeg Fringe Theatre shows, lots of laughs, the occasional tear, great reviews, and deep and lasting friendships. Dan did a degree in Theatre and Film at the University of Winnipeg following his graduation from Miles Macdonell Collegiate in 2007. His theatre work included roles in Revenge of the Meek, Ripple Effect, The God Box, The Winter’s Tale, and The Ghost Sonata. He also appeared on film in The Capture of the Green River Killer and New in Town featuring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.



In 2017 Dan joined Sick & Twisted, a theatre company dedicated to “exploring the experience of living with a disability.” His one-man show in their first disability cabaret, Lame Is, was a personal and courageous exploration of the company’s belief that “truth in performance is not dependent on bodily perfection.” The power of art to change and broaden perspectives was important to Dan and after performing in two disability cabarets, he joined the board of the company.



Dan was a foodie and a great home chef. After a childhood that included long periods of nourishment by intravenous only and years of tube feeding, he became passionate about cooking, applying his curious mind to the art and science of food preparation. In 2023 he created a book of recipes dedicated to encouraging home cooks, self-described foodies, curious minds, and kitchen putterers to keep learning and to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. While others baked bread through the pandemic, Dan grew mushrooms and made kombucha. Our family meals will be less flavourful without Dan’s urging to “just add a little more.”



Dan wanted to be remembered for who he was - a caring and vital human being, a good friend, a loving son and brother, and someone intellectually engaged with the world. Dan was a frequent flyer in the health care system. He and his family were and are extremely grateful for the excellent care and treatment he received in Winnipeg, Toronto, and the United States. Daniel, and therefore our family, was the recipient of more than one miracle. For this we thank every nurse, doctor, Child Life Specialist, medical student, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist we met over the past 34 years. From you we learned how to help our son and brother live his life.



Dan was interred in a private graveside service on May 31, 2023. A Celebration of Life will follow in the months ahead…we need time to celebrate Dan’s life in the way he deserves.



In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to: Manitoba Theatre for Young People, 2 Forks Market Road, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4X1, or Young Adult Cancer Canada, PO Box 29055 Torbay Road, St. John’s, NL A1A 5B5.

Richard Rosin

Funeral Director Ltd.

204-219-1126

richardrosin.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 03, 2023