Roger Reay

May 15, 1940 – October 4, 2022 

With broken hearts we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Roger Reay on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at Health Sciences Centre.

Roger is survived by his wife of 56 years, Heather; his children Jason and Kevin (Christine); grandson Aiden; his sister and brother-in-law Christine and George Austwick, and their family of Emsworth, England. Heather’s family, Shirley Middleton and her family of Steinbach; Donna Skinner and her family of Arborg; Jack and Heather Skinner and their family of Beaumont, Alberta; Ruth Skinner and her family of Calgary, Alberta. Roger is predeceased by his parents Tommy Gillson, Vicki and Lawrence Reay; father and mother-in-law Jim and Frances Skinner; his much-loved daughter-in-law Teresa as well as his brothers-in-law Jim Skinner and Jack Middleton.

Roger was born on May 15, 1940, to Vicki and Tommy Gillson in Portsmouth, England. One of Roger’s earliest memories is running down the street with his mother to an air raid shelter and hearing the falling bombs. In 1947 his mother remarried and moved to Canada. In 1951 Roger boarded a plane and travelled to Canada, on his own, to join his mother and stepfather, Lawrence Reay. Shortly after his arrival in Winnipeg, Roger was formally adopted by Lawrence, and they enjoyed a wonderful father/son relationship until Lawrence’s death in 2015. After Roger’s arrival in Canada, he developed a lifelong love of baseball and hockey and participated in both sports for many years.

Roger started his work life in pharmaceuticals, firstly with National Drugs and then Gamble Drugs. He also worked for many years in the transportation business as a Credit Manager with Kingsway and QuickX. In 1996 he was involved in a horrific car accident and lost his job. A short time later Saul Simmonds asked Roger to do collections for the law firm of Gindin, Wolson, Simmonds. He loved this job and did it happily until aortic disease made it impossible for him to continue. Roger was always appreciative of the opportunity offered to him by Saul.

Roger and Heather were introduced by her brother Jack (who had a knack for matchmaking), and they married on July 16, 1966. Roger was a wonderful husband and an incredible father. In 1973 Jason was born and Kevin followed in 1980 and completed their family. Roger rejoiced in all the boys’ activities and coached their soccer, baseball, and hockey teams. He reveled in the time he spent with his sons, including the annual opening and closing of the pool and the ongoing banter between the three of them. He was delighted when the boys brought Teresa and Christine into the family and before too long, he loved and thought of these fabulous women as his daughters. In 2004 the birth of his grandson, Aiden, brought a whole new dimension to the family. Roger hated to miss anything Aiden did whether it be school concerts, soccer or hockey games or just spending time with him, including golf games where Roger hit everything but the green. Each year Roger and Aiden had $1.00 bets on the Stanley Cup which resulted in several charges of cheating between the two of them. It should be noted that Roger was the most likely to alter a bet after the fact! Roger loved to drive Aiden back and forth to school and have that extra time with him. Occasionally Aiden would have to call Heather from the car to check with her regarding the truth of some outrageous claim Roger had made during one of their trips home from school.

Roger’s sister, Christine, reached out to him in 1997 and that began a wonderful new family for all of us. In 1998 Roger and Heather travelled to Portsmouth, England to meet up with Chris, George and their family. It was a fabulous trip, and it was thrilling to meet all of the family. There were so many similarities between Roger and Chris that it was mind boggling. Roger took great joy in his brother/sister relationship and at one point commented to Heather, “I finally have what you have always had.” That initial visit to England led to a love of travel and visits all over the world including Scotland, Wales, France, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hawaii, Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Roger’s much-loved Mexico.

The house is going to be horribly quiet without Roger’s large and very noisy presence. Roger never did anything quietly. He was always clowning around, joking and teasing everyone he loved and cared about.

A celebration of Roger’s life will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022, 1:00 p.m., at Prairie Spirit United Church, 207 Thompson Drive, Winnipeg. Masks are not mandated, but would be preferred. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Manitoba Heart and Stroke or Cancer Care for Manitoba.

Special thanks to Dr. J. Silvaggio for his care and the compassion he showed to Roger and our family; the nursing staff of GA5 of the Health Sciences Centre and especially his two favourite nurses, Trang and Ella.