EDGAR RAYMOND (GARRY) ODDLEIFSON

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EDGAR RAYMOND (GARRY) ODDLEIFSON 1939 - 2018 On Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at the Grace Hospital in Winnipeg, Garry, our brother, uncle and friend, died peacefully, surrounded by family. Born to Leifi and Jonina on September 22, 1939, in Winnipeg, he will be greatly missed by his sisters, Adelaide and Loreen; many nieces and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; aunts; cousins; and many friends here, in Toronto, and through his association with the Icelandic National League of North America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Iceland. Garry grew up in St. Vital, where he attended Glenwood School and Glenlawn Collegiate. He moved to Toronto in 1965, where he enjoyed a long and successful career as a draftsman, and he took great pride in being involved in the restoration of many of Toronto's heritage buildings. Upon retirement, he returned to Winnipeg to be closer to his family. Garry was very proud of his Icelandic heritage, working hard to preserve its language and history in North America. He was an active member and past president of the Icelandic Canadian Fron, which is Winnipeg's chapter of the INLNA, a member of the Selkirk Bruin Chapter, past president of the Icelandic National League of North America, past president and ongoing member of the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto, a past member of the board of directors of Lögberg-Heimskringla, and a past member of the Winnipeg Icelandic Choir, Solskríkjan Kor. He also served on the board of directors of the Betel Home Foundation, the Valuing Icelandic Presence (VIP) committee at the University of Manitoba, and the Canada-Iceland Foundation. Wherever he served the Icelandic community, he had a take-charge approach, an openness to the knowledge and experience of others, and a willingness to do whatever the job demanded, from organizing events to playing Santa at club Christmas parties. In 2013, Garry was named as an honorary life member of the Icelandic National League of North America and, three years later, he received the Laurence S.G. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award, the INLNA's highest honour. He was a big supporter of the arts, with season tickets for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Garry was also an avid sports fan, cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and then the Winnipeg Jets when he returned to his hometown Garry will be remembered by all who knew him as a very kind and loving soul, a gentle giant, who loved his family and friends without condition. He was friendly and forthright, jovial and dignified. A celebration of Garry's life will be held at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue (across from Brookside Cemetery) on Saturday, June 16, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, and to honour Garry's passion for his Icelandic heritage, a donation may be made to Lögberg-Heimskringla, the Icelandic community newspaper and one of the longest running newpapers in North America. Lögberg-Heimskringla, Inc., 835 Marion Street, Winnipeg, MB R2J 0K6 or http://www.lh-inc.ca/ NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 09, 2018