MICHAEL ELBOURNE

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MICHAEL ELBOURNE Peacefully, after a well fought battle with cancer, Michael Lewis Elbourne passed away on October 8, 2014 at Riverview Health Centre, at the age of 60. Michael (Mickey) leaves behind Tracy, his wife and partner of almost 30 years; children Cydney and her husband Michael Bergen Nicholas, Deidre and Natasha; mother Joyce Charles; brothers Mara and Tony; sisters Cynthia, Carol, Sherry, Claudette, Carla and Debbie; mother-in-law Eleanor; brother-in-law Matt and his partner Marian Reimer; sisters-in-law Maria and her husband Mike Ford, Jan Wood, and Diane Baker; recent addition to the Winnipeg family circle cousin Gabby Elbourne and her husband Alan Chanway; and a small army of extended family including nieces, nephews, cousins, step-siblings and stepmother, aunts and uncles, and of course many friends. Michael was predeceased by brothers Dana and Carver, father Irwin Elbourne, and father-in-law Ken Mathews. Michael was born and raised in Siparia, Trinidad and Tobago where he also acquired his schooling and technical training at Texaco in Pointe-a-Pierre. Michael arrived in Canada in 1978 and after a couple of jobs landed at Versatile Manufacturing Ltd. and spent over 20 years with that company making many lifelong friends. Later in his career he would be employed by MacDon Ltd., where he felt respected and valued for his skills and fierce insistence on quality work and dedication. MacDon gave Michael a renewed sense of purpose and was a wonderful place for him to spend the twilight of his career. Michael loved all music but his favourite in his later years was the Blues, although he often said the best music made was in the 1970s. The kids continue their shared love of world music with their father. Michael's favourite recreation time was either at the family cottage in Lac Du Bonnet or camping in recent years with friends and family. He was the first one to light the campfire in many of Manitoba's provincial park campgrounds where hours upon hours were spent sharing stories and conversations. His children and many friends loved to sit around the fire listening to the men tell outrageous tall tales. Michael loved the outdoors and experiencing new places and in recent years he and Tracy spent winter holidays in Mexico. Michael was also a great cook of Trinidadian food, and both he and Tracy hosted, fed and entertained hundreds of people during their time together. The family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and nurses at CancerCare who walked his journey with him until his brief stay at Riverview. There all staff, nurses, and doctors treated Michael with the caring, compassion and respect that he needed and deserved. They truly are very special people. Funeral Services will be held at St. Mary Magdelene Anglican Church on Saturday, October 18 at 11:00 a.m. Reception in church to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0V9, may be made in his honour. God saw you getting tired So He wrapped His arms around you And whispered "Come to me" And so He gave you rest. Words by Frances and Kathleen Coelho NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 15, 2014