Tag: Cremation

Nita Bautista Esperanzate

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January 12, 1942 – May 15, 2026

Nita Bautista Esperanzate was born 12 January 1942 to Raphaela nee Rincoraya Bautista and Victorino Bautista in Urdaneta, Pangasinan in the Philippines. She was 84 years young on the evening of Friday the 15th of May 2026 when she succumbed to a brief and sudden pneumonia at St Boniface General Hospital.

Her husband of 54 years, Winston Arizala Esperanzate, passed on the 18th of January 2022. She is survived by her son Dr. Patrick Esperanzate, his wife Dr. Jennifer Whelan and her grandchildren who are the apples of both her and Winston’s eyes, Emily Jane and Isabella May Esperanzate. She was the middle child of three. Older brother Ador was the eldest child/son who is survived today by her nephew Alex and niece Lisa. Younger brother Liberato (“Ray”/“Reby”) was the youngest and is survived by Auntie Lota and nephew Michael and niece Sheila in Toronto.

She finished nursing school in the Philippines and came over to the United States to Hannemann University hospital in Philadelphia. She then moved to Chicago and worked at the famous Cook County hospital where the 90s TV series show ER was based. There, she worked as a registered nurse in the urology unit. She met her soon to be husband, Winston, who worked in the psychiatry unit. They married on 04 February 1967. 

They returned back to the Philippines for a short while before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba. They worked at the old Riverview Hospital for a few years before moving to Beausejour and Selkirk, Manitoba and working in the local hospital units.

On returning to Winnipeg, Nita became the first Filipino Registered Nurse that worked at the tertiary Health Sciences Centre. She continued to work both there as the Women’s Hospital R5 unit charge nurse as well as a side full-time job at Holy Family Nursing home – both for over three decades. At work, she had fun with her staff and colleagues and always made time to make and eat Filipino food with them.

At home, she always loved to chat with her friends and experience world travel early on in her marriage – she had travelled to almost 30 countries.

While at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home, she was well admired and loved by fellow staff and residents alike. She had the time to still impart the skills she learned through life and her nursing career; as one St Joseph’s nurse advised, Nita taught her “empathy and compassion as a nurse” which would stick with that nurse forever. She was always a kind-hearted soul with all around her; she always wanted the best for those around her – namely her granddaughters Emily and Isabella. 

In her final years, she was helped with the care of: Patrick, Jennifer, Emily, Isabella, her niece from her husband’s side and family (Hestia Esperanzate Prieto, husband/kids Cris, Thaddeus, Jan Ziv, Xan Gyan and Auntie Luming), as well as close family friends (namely Rosemarie and John DeLeon) for which she was always explicitly grateful.

For those who would like to attend services:

1) Viewing/Lamay services

6PM – 7PM AND APPROXIMATELY 830PM – 11PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
Friday 12 June 2026
Celebrant Monsignor Maurice Comeault
St. Boniface (Catholic) Cathedral
180 De La Cathedrale Ave, Winnipeg, MB R2H 0H7
https://www.cstboniface.ca (https://www.cstboniface.ca/)

2) Funeral Mass (Same Evening – Friday 12 June 2026)

7PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
Celebrant Monsignor Maurice Comeault
St. Boniface (Catholic) Cathedral
180 De La Cathedrale Ave, Winnipeg, MB R2H 0H7
https://www.cstboniface.ca (https://www.cstboniface.ca/)

For those who cannot attend in person and wish to watch the Funeral Mass: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl1E7mCc7GhQG7okxh1SMnQ

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Nita’s memorial page using the comment field below.

Larry Bernard Swain

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July 27, 1949 – January 20, 2026

Larry Swain was 76 years old when he passed away on January 20th, 2026.

Known for his kindness and quick sense of humour, he never hesitated to help anyone in need. Whether it was lending a hand, sharing a laugh, or simply showing up when it mattered, he made life a little easier for those around him.

Larry was a devoted husband and father. He had a special love for dogs and was rarely without treats in his pocket, always ready to spoil any four-legged friend he met. It will be strange not seeing his work van driving through town anymore, a familiar sight that brought comfort to many. Larry’s presence will be deeply missed, but his kindness will not be forgotten.

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend a graveside service celebrating the life of Larry on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at Old St. Andrews on the Red Anglican churchyard cemetery located at 3 St. Andrews Road, St. Andrews, MB.

A reception will immediately follow at the Little Britain Church Hall, 5879 Main Street.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Larry’s memorial page using the comment field below.

Hans Artur Petersen

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March 11, 1938-May 11, 2026 at the age of 88

Hans was predeceased by his son Ronn and leaves to mourn his passing, his wife of 65 years Grace and their five girls Ria (Dan), Deanna (Jerry), Rozanne (Myles), Lisa (Bruce) and Amanda (Chris) along with 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Hans was born to Johann Heinrich and Elisabeth Petersen in Cappel Kreis Marburg Germany.  He and a buddy decided to travel the world at the tender age of 17, crossing the ocean on a steam ship in 1955. They ran out of money in Manitoba so Hans became a jack of all trades to survive.  He met the love of his life, Grace, in Thompson where they were both working. They were wed in 1960.  Hans always liked adventure, new challenges, and looking for ways to “save a few dollars, make a few bucks”.  As a result, he and Grace lived many places in Manitoba over the years but no matter where he was, Hans always tried his hardest to provide for his family, often spending much time on the road trucking.  The job he liked to speak of most was with Silverwood Dairies.  He loved delivering dairy to all the rural small-town stores and spoke of it often.  Hans and Grace were eventually led by the Spirit to St. Eustache and Elie.  There they found a community of wonderful people with whom to spend the rest of their days.

Hans will always be remembered for his gorgeous gardens, hard work, hurry up let’s go attitude, adventurous spirit, and sometimes just the right amount of goofiness!

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff of the Portage District General Hospital for their compassion and care in Hans’s final days.

Cremation has taken place and Hans will be laid to rest in Elie MB at the Blessed Sacrament Church Cemetery at a later date.  Donations may be made in his memory to a charity of your choice.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Hans’ memorial page using the comment field below.

Gordon Lyle Hopko

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February 26, 1937 – April 17, 2026

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of our dear father, Gordon (Gordie) “The Garlic Man” Hopko, on April 17, 2026, at the age of 89 years.

Gordon is predeceased by his parents, Peter and Doris, and his brother Cecil.  He will be lovingly remembered by his three children; Lyal (Karen), Kimberly (Brian), Pamela (Jason) and seven grandchildren; Ryan, Andrew, Riley, Brinly, Tristan, Noah and Peyton. 

By day, Gordon worked for 34 years in Winnipeg as an Industrial Arts Teacher at the Manitoba School for the Deaf, and, in the evening, he was a proud farmer with his brother Cecil in Rockwood, Manitoba.  When he lived in Winnipeg on Lipton Street, Gordon was regarded by many as the neighbourhood Mr. Fix-it, a landlord to rental properties, and chief mechanic to the vehicles his children drove.  Needless to say, Gordon was a busy guy! 

Awake and out of the house early each day, Gordon valued the meaning of hard work and would rarely stop to eat lunch as he felt the need to accomplish as much as possible while the sun was shining.  He enjoyed keeping himself busy, making ends-meet, and only resting when it was too dark to see what he was doing.  Renowned for his work ethic, Gordon was routinely seen farming, tinkering in his yard, or repurposing old lawnmowers to sell at auctions. 

Once retired, Gordon traded city life for a more relaxed pace by returning to his roots in the Interlake. He loved the fields of green and gold, the open space, and the peacefulness of country life.  Here, he adopted the title of “The Garlic Man” as he enjoyed planting fields of garlic to harvest and sell at fairs and local groceries.  With each growing season, Gordon grew increasingly passionate about his hobby, yielding much satisfaction and pride. 

Gordon found his greatest joy in life’s most simple and meaningful moments.  Some of his cherished memories were fly-in fishing trips with his son Lyal and family in Northern Manitoba, where he embraced the rugged outdoors – living with few amenities, cooking over an open fire, and taking pride in catching and preparing meals with fish from the surrounding water.  In contrast, Gordon enjoyed spending winters in Texas with his special friend Judy, where he enjoyed good company, local markets, and a welcome escape from the Manitoba cold.  Closer to home, he treasured his daily routines – morning drives to his favourite McDonalds in Selkirk for a bran muffin and coffee, afternoons at auction sales where he was likely to return home with more treasures than he brought, and his well-known habit of collecting and restoring discarded small engines, giving them new life.  These passions reflected his resourcefulness, independence, and appreciation for both adventure and the everyday pleasures of life. 

Gordon was a remarkable man; a true role model to his 3 children and 7 grandchildren. He instilled values they each hold dear and try to uphold in their own lives.  Gordon will be greatly missed by many friends and family.   

As per Gordon’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a service will be held on June 13, 2026 @ 1pm at St. Joseph’s Church, 2 Olive Street, Stony Mountain, MB.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Betel Care Home in Gimli for the exceptional care Gordon received throughout his 3-year stay.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice in Gordon’s name or to Betel Care Home in Gimli.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Gordon’s memorial page using the comment field below.

Mary Chizick

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December 7, 1926 – April 28, 2026

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Mother Mary left us on April 28, 2026, at the tender age of 99.

She leaves to mourn her daughter, Valerie Krut, son Gary Chizick (Darlene), 2 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her son, Ronald, husband, John and son-in-law, Darrel Krut.

Special thanks to the staff at Red River Place in Selkirk for their care and compassion.

Mary was a strong and good-natured woman with a gentle manner.  Cremation has taken place and she will be laid to rest with her husband John and son Ronald, at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, Gonor, MB., at a later date.

We love & miss you Mom.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Mary’s memorial page using the comment field below.