January 8, 1937 - January 15, 2021
Wilfred passed away at the age of 84 after failing health. He lived a long interesting life. His mother died when he was still an infant from Tuberculosis. He was taken in by his kind Uncle Louis and his wife Maria who raised him like their own. He was raised on the shores of the northern basin of Lake Manitoba. He was a sled dog enthusiast who loved raising dogs and building sleds from hardwood.
When he was a married young man he moved to Thompson eventually getting a job with Inco where he worked on surface with boom trucks and then in an open pit running various heavy equipment.
He raised five children and provided a good life for his family. Life got in the way and his wife and him parted ways in the late 70's.
He went towards the Yukon where he had previously visited in the late 60's. He lived in northern Alberta and BC before finally settling in the Yukon. He always loved the scenery of the rivers and mountains.
In his last location in Whitehorse he worked at a hotel up to his last days, he had a soft spot for down-and-out folks and did what he could to help. He recently got back in touch with his two adult children and old friends from Manitoba; he had lively conversations over the phone, still sharp with a memory that went back 60 years. He passed in peace knowing that he was still loved by friends and family.
Wilfred's second youngest son Martin passed in April 1988 from a car accident in Saskatchewan. His wife Yvonne passed in August in 1999 and his youngest son Milton (Kiki) passed in November 2020. His eldest son Michael, daughter Mona, and second oldest son Murray currently live in Alberta.
The family would like to thank Heritage Funeral Services of Whitehorse for their kind and professional conduct dealing with the details of getting the cremation done through these trying times. Another acknowledgment goes out the Chilkoot Trail Inn for providing access to lodging and odd jobs for Wilfred in his advanced age.
Contact can be made at e-mail address ojduma@gmail.com.