Obituary of Wayne Brazeau

Wayne Arthur Brazeau, CD Wayne Arthur Brazeau passed away on January 21, 2015 at the Dr. Cooke Extended Care Home in Lloydminster, Alberta. Wayne was born in the little farming community of Elphinstone, Manitoba to Arthur Brazeau and Margaret Plant on February 9, 1939. Some of his childhood was spent on the farm where he learned self discipline, self-reliance and a strong work ethic. These traits gave him the strength to survive in the harsh and demeaning world of an orphanage in Winnipeg after his mother was severely burned in a fire. At the age of 14, he began to fend for himself and found work as a chimney sweep, earning enough money to live on peanut butter and jam sandwiches and pay his rent of $8 a month. At the age of 17, in 1956, he was accepted into the Canadian Military. He served with the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada 2nd Battalion for 14 years earning the Canadian Decoration Medal permitting him to use the designation CD after his name. Wayne lived or trained in Esquimalt, BC, Calgary, Suffield and Wainwright AB where he was subjected to mustard gas in a 1968 training scheme called Exercise Vaccuum. Wayne also served twice in Germany where he was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a misunderstood brain injury. In 1967, he was in Cyprus with the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces where he earned the right to wear the blue beret and United Nations hat badge. Following his military service, Wayne had a variety of labour and maintenance jobs in Alberta, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario where he met his wife of 40 years, Susan Elizabeth Hillman. They married in 1974 and had one daughter who died at childbirth a year later. In 1976, Wayne began working in Calgary with the Alberta Department of the Attorney General (now the Department of Justice). Promotions took him to the Judicial Districts of Wetaskiwin, Red Deer and, finally Vegreville, where he served 8 years as the Court Manager with the titles Clerk of the Court and Sheriff of the Court of Queen's Bench and Provincial Courts. After almost 19 years with the Department, he took early retirement in 1995. He and Susan then moved to Lloydminster where Susan was employed as an Instructor at Lakeland College. To end his careers, Wayne worked as a security guard with the Corps of Commissionaires on both sides of the provincial borders in Lloydminster. A series of strokes in his 65th year changed Wayne's life and over the next several years, he participated in the Lloydminster and Area Brain Injury Support Group (LABIS) where he established lifelong friends and strong personal supports. Also, he and Susan fulfilled his 8 dream vacations travelling by car, bus, train and plane across Canada at least twice and staying in some of the best hotels in the country, eating foods he had never eaten before, and visiting villages, towns and cities that were of interest to him or of importance to his ancestors. While in his 50's, Wayne learned of his Metis ancestry and his paternal genealogy has been traced and documented to seven original Aboriginal mothers in Western Canada, figures in Canadian fur trading history and to several early families that arrived in Quebec in the mid 1600's. His maternal ancestry extends to the earliest families that settled in New Hampshire, USA, some of whom are Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. It is a family ancestry in which Wayne had great pride and a sense of identity as a devoted Canadian and a true child of this continent. Wayne's favourite sports teams were the Calgary Flames and the Calgary Stampeders. He never gave up on them. He also enjoyed reading mysteries and watching British dramas and comedies and movies or documentaries about space, science, and medical discoveries. For many years, he was also an avid collector of Canadian stamps and postage memorabilia -a hobby he and Susan enjoyed together. Also, over the years and in different communities, Wayne had been a member of the Kiwanis Club; Rotary International; Lloydminster and Area Brain Injury Society (LABIS); and, the Queens Own Rifles Association of Canada. As a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, he founded the Vegreville Branch, Local 1869. He was a current member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #39. Wayne had a subtle sense of humour that was always accompanied by a huge grin and a signature chuckle. His positive attitude and self determination brought him through adversity in his life and made him empathetic to others who also met with difficult challenges. As an example, at an early age, his education was cut short; but, he eventually completed high school and also earned a Business Management Certificate through the Government of Alberta when he was in his 40's. He valued learning and education and, along with Susan, set up the Wayne and Susan Brazeau Life Experience Award for students at Lakeland College. Wayne is survived by his wife, Susan, of Lloydminster, his brother Stanley James, in Winnipeg and several nieces and nephews in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. He was predeceased by his father in 1989, his mother in 1997, sister Merle Dill in 1988 and sister Joyce Medwid in 2014. Wayne was also very close to Susan's parents, Clyde and Jessie Hillman of Kenora, who have since passed away. Especially important to Wayne in the past 10 years of his life were Susan; his friends at LABIS; Larry and Verna Powley, of Edmonton, AB; brother-in-law, Bill Hillman of Kenora, ON; niece Michelle (and Dwayne) Taylor and nephew James Brazeau of Winnipeg, MB; Michael Brazeau (and family) of Sarnia, ON; niece Pam Hanstead (Brent and children Chloe and Payton Berezowski) and Nancy (Cory) Sehn all of Calgary, AB; former brother-in-law, Gary Hanstead of Kelowna, B.C.; Borden Cree Chief of Onion Lake, SK; Deb Fitzsimmonds, Geraldine Olynik and Don Wiznewski of Lloydminster, AB; and Gayle Speidel of Vegreville, AB. Extra special to Wayne were his many pets over the years: Pierre, Bozo, Purdy, Muffin, Buddy, Teddy, Patches, Mickey, Hollyolly, Sparky and Ginger. There are also many other dogs and cats who lived and had good homes because Wayne would not let them be abandoned or mistreated. He was a gentle, kind human being who cared deeply for the disadvantaged and forgotten, whether human or animal. He will be terribly missed by those he has left behind. Thank yous are extended to the caring staff at the Dr. Cooke Extended Care Centre. Many at the Cooke, Lloydminster Hospital and LABIS will remember Wayne's little grrs, big smiles and the twinkle in his eye. Finally, thank you to many EMT's; the Handi-Van staff; the Legacy Centre; and, the staff of McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., especially Glenn McCaw and his 6 spoons of sugar. Wayne has been cremated and a Celebration of his Life, in particular his enjoyment of coffee, will be held at the Legacy Centre in Lloydminster, Alberta, on Monday, February 9th from 2 pm to 4 pm. A light lunch and refreshments will be served. Dress is casual. Wayne's wish was that his ashes be buried in St. Francois Xavier in the White Horse Plains, Manitoba, the traditional home of his Metis ancestors. Friends and family from Winnipeg and Kenora will be invited to participate at that time. Rather than flowers, please consider making a donation in Wayne's name to the Lloydminster and Area Brain Injury Society; the Lloydminster SPCA; or the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lloydminster.