DR. EDWARD S. RECTOR

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DR. EDWARD S. RECTOR

It is with great sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of our gentle, loving husband and father, Edward S. Rector, on October 12, 2023. His final days were spent in the company of his loving and devoted wife, Laurel, and his daughter, Willow.

Edward was predeceased by his parents, Mary and Stanley Rektor and his brother, Roger. Left to mourn his passing and celebrate his life with Laurel and Willow are his brother, Brian; aunt, Anne Sopuck; and many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.



A highly intelligent, studious, and private man, Edward’s life was shaped by his two great loves: science and his family. His passion for learning and wonder at the beauty and complexities of the natural world inspired his childhood chemistry experiments with friends from St. Paul’s High School and provided the foundation for his formal studies of Chemistry (B.Sc.); Biochemistry (M.Sc.1970); and Immunology (Ph.D. 1981). As Founding Director of the Flow Cytometry Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Edward devoted his many gifts and his exceptional work ethic to the research of childhood asthma, lymphoma, and HIV/AIDS during a diverse and demanding career that spanned over 30 years. The innovative research he conducted moved the dialogue forward and made important contributions to medical science and practices that reverberate today.



While studying at Queen’s University, Edward met and fell in love with Laurel, a deep, abiding love that glowed throughout the whole of their 56 years together. Their dedication and devotion to one another saw them through times both happy and sad. No matter the circumstances, Edward always knew that Laurel was at his side, and she continued to stand with him until his very last breath.



As his only child, I was blessed to have my father in my life. From my earliest days, he fostered my curiosity, challenged my intelligence, and was proud of my achievements. Many of our conversations over the years began with “Hey Dad, did you know that…?” and I will miss the sparkle in his eyes that greeted my question every time.



Edward’s family would like to thank Dr. Abbott and all the nursing staff of 4 Unit 4, Seven Oaks Hospital for their exceptional care and kindness to all three of us during his final illness. We would also like to gratefully acknowledge the many years of dedicated care extended to Edward by the nurses of Leila Nursing Clinic, their Supervisor Darcy, and Dr. John Embil.



According to Edward’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service and reception will be held at 2:00 p.m. on October 26, 2023, at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue.



An online link to the memorial will be available at:

https://www.hdezwebcast.com/

show/edward-s-rector

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Edward’s name to the Manitoba Museum.

NEIL BARDAL

FUNERAL CENTRE

204-949-2200

neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 21, 2023