We honor and celebrate the cherished members of the Intrepid Society who have passed away, acknowledging their invaluable contributions and the lasting impact they’ve had on our community.
Table of Contents
Christopher Murray Burt
24th Nov 1933 – 11th May 2024
Murray joined the Intrepid Society soon after its inception and supported the society over the past decades. His humour was infectious. He had many talents but his gift as a diplomat was most enjoyable. His interpretation of ordinary board minutes could be the script of a stage play. Even more dramatic was his talent in performing the 100% pure New Zealand Ka Mate, the Haka. His last performance was at the Manitoba Club where he frightened the visiting American delegation from Washington into doubling their consumption of martinis, stirred not shaken. His literary talents and the hospitality of his wife Betsey were enjoyed many times at their hideaway near Kenora.
Obituary
Elizabeth Burt and her family mourn the passing of Christopher Murray Burt, known to everyone as Murray. He passed away peacefully at the Seven Oaks Hospital on May 11, 2024.
In his 90 years, Murray was a prolific writer, an old school journalist, and active with the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, advocating for the rights of journalists around the world to objectively report news. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed inciting discussion on any topic, from comparative governments to ethics in journalism. To many, he was a role model, a loyal friend and an affable advisor.
Murray was born November 24, 1933, in Dunedin, New Zealand, to Melville Ross Burt and Mercia Burt (nee Arnett). He left New Zealand to pursue his dream of becoming a journalist, working first in London, UK, before moving to the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. It was there he met his wife of 64 years. He raised his family in Ontario where he worked at the St. Catharines Standard, and then in Toronto at the Globe and Mail before finally settling in Winnipeg where he enjoyed many years as the Managing Editor of the Winnipeg Free Press. He retired to Kenora but never gave up writing, devoting much time to another passion: The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, for whom he wrote “The Ladies From Hell”.
Murray is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth (nee Evaschesen), children, Katherine and David, and their spouses, Douglas Grimshaw, and Lisa Curtin, and grandchildren, Samuel (partner Robbin), Benjamin (wife Melissa), Charles (partner Erin), Kes and Anika.
https://winnipeg-can.newsmemory.com/?publink=0c2a91633_134d2aa
Tim Lawson
1953 – 10th May, 2024
Obituary
Tim (Ray Edward Timothy) Lawson, died on May, 10th in Langley, B.C., father, of Bryan (Cedar); grandfather of Bryan’s three children, He is predeceased by wife, Karola; survived by former wife, Lesley and partner Marisa. Born in 1953 in London , ON., Tim was the sixth child of Col, Tom and Miggsie Lawson. He was a unique individual who lived life on his own terms. Tim was a musician, historian and entrepreneur. Unfailingly, he had a smile for everyone. He will be missed by his large extended family.
https://obits.mlive.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/tim-lawson-obituary?id=55133458
Dr. Colin John Briggs
2nd June 1940 – 31st March 2024
Dr. Colin Briggs was a member of the Intrepid Society Board of Directors and held that position from the formation of the Society in 1994.
Colin researched the life of Sir William Stephenson over those early years and became the Society’s expert on the life and times of the man called “Intrepid” by Sir Winston Churchill.
Colin lectured on many occasions on Intrepid both to the society members and as a guest speaker to many organizations in Manitoba.
His most influential lecture was at the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States during the Society’s visit to gift a bronze maquette of Intrepid to the Agency. The lecture was attended by over two hundred members of the agency staff.
The gift of the bronze, created by Leo Mol was a maquette of the statue in Memorial Park, located in Winnipeg, at the north park area of Manitoba’s Legislature building. The details of the presentation and Colin’s lecture can be found here.
Letter from the Dean of College of Pharmacy
“I am saddened to report that Dr. Colin Briggs passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2024 at the age of 84. Dr. Briggs was an active full time faculty member of the Faculty of Pharmacy from 1967 to August 2005.
Dr. Briggs graduated from the School of Pharmacy, University of London in 1962 with a B.Pharm (Hons), specializing in Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutics. He completed his postgraduate apprentice at Timothy White and Taylor, Chemists, Newquay, Cornwall, England in 1963. From 1964 to 1967 he was a research assist and graduate student in Pharmacy, Portsmouth College of Technology, Hants, England. He completed his PhD in 1972 at the University of Long, Faculty of Medicine in Pharmacognosy. From 1963 through to 1967 he was a community pharmacist in England.
We had the pleasure of Dr. Briggs joining the then, Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba in 1967 as an Assistant Professor. In 1985, Dr. Briggs was promoted to Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy. He served the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC) from 1971 to 1980 in many capacities as Elected Councillor, Member of the Executive, Chairman, Recording Secretary, President Elect, and President. He was the Chairman of the Professional Practice Committee, Member of Publications Committee, and Member of the Board of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association from 1985 to 1991. Throughout his career Dr. Briggs gave his time to serve on many committees and organizations both external to the University of Manitoba and internally to the Faculty of Pharmacy and the University of Manitoba. Dr. Briggs was often a visiting professor at universities throughout Canada and in England, Belgium, Beijing and California. Dr. Briggs coordinated that pharmacy graduate seminar program from 1988 to 1997 and then again in 2000 to 2005. During his 38 years of service, Dr. Briggs had 81 publications and 80 abstracts. He was a reviewer for 24 granting agencies and journals throughout his career.
Dr. Briggs retired from the Faculty of Pharmacy on August 31, 2005. Upon his retirement he was appointed as a Senior Scholar and continued to provide some undergraduate lectures. In 2006 he graduated his last PhD student, he continued to serve on the advisory committees of graduate students. On January 29, 2008, the University of Manitoba Board of Governors approved Dr. Briggs as a Professor Emeritus. He was conferred Professor Emeritus on May 27, 2008 at the University of Manitoba Spring Convocation.
Dr. Briggs is survived by his wife Elizabeth and family.”
Lalitha Raman-Wilms
Dean and Professor
College of Pharmacy
Obituary
After a courageous battle with cancer, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend passed away at St. Boniface Hospital on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024.
Colin was born and educated in England. He lived in Truro, Cornwall, with his parents Richard and Dora Briggs née Murcutt and his younger brother Keith. As a youngster, he aimed at becoming a Queen’s Scout and a Range Rover. Like some fortunate British students, he passed the “eleven-plus” and attended Truro Independent School, where he studied Latin in his junior years. Colin continued his education at the University of London, where he studied Pharmacy. After graduation, he worked in retail before beginning a PhD program in Portsmouth, Hampshire. From Portsmouth, he applied for vacant positions in Canada and joined the School of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba in September 1967. Three years later, he met and married Elizabeth, who had also lived in Portsmouth at the same time and had attended similar activities in the city, but they met in Winnipeg.
Colin began as an assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy. He specialized in drugs of natural origin, and his research involved analytical studies on nutritional agents and toxic compounds in plants. He served his professional organization on the Board of the CPhA for a number of years. He was an invited professor at the University of Ghent in Belgium, and he spent some sabbatical leaves working on Lathyrus. Colin is a Past President of the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada. He was on the Board of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy and was elected President in 1999. He was designated a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain for his contribution to the profession and science of Pharmacy. Colin was seconded to Health Canada from 1997-2000 as Senior Science Advisor on Complementary Medicines. In 2008, Colin was appointed Professor Emeritus of the University of Manitoba.
Colin enriched the lives of his wife Elizabeth, his children Kerry-Jane and Gemma, and his grandchildren, Angelina, Nathan, and Chloë. Colin, Gemma, and Ken spent a week in the orphanage God’s Littlest Angels, Haiti, twenty years ago. They brought Angelina to Canada to be part of our family. Shortly afterward, Colin and Elizabeth obtained medications, clothing, and toys for the young Haitian children and raised money at St. Luke’s Anglican Church to send children in the community to school. Schools have been closed for a few years, but the fundraising continues to help preschool children in the orphanage.
Colin was predeceased by his daughter Gemma. He will be greatly missed by his wife Elizabeth, his daughter Kerry-Jane Galenzoski, and his grandchildren Angelina, Nathan, and Chloë. He will be fondly remembered by his brother Keith in Edmonton, his wife Olia, children Tony and Tina, and grandchildren. Similarly, his sister-in-law Shan and her husband Kevin in Tiverton, Devon, England, with their nieces and nephew Bonnie, Meeghan, and Arlo, will not forget his kindness and warmth. Finally, we wish to thank a special friend of the family, Ken, who has offered support and help at this time.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Emergency and Cancer Care at St. Boniface Hospital together with Ven. Paul Lampman, Rector of St. Luke’s, and Blair Anderson, Organist and Choirmaster.
The family would like to honor Colin by supporting the Dr. Colin Briggs Legacy Scholarship for Pharmacy Excellence at The University of Manitoba. If you wish to make a contribution, it will ensure that his dedication to education will inspire and uplift aspiring pharmacists for generations to come. A gift can be made online at give.umanitoba.ca. Enter the “Dr. Colin Briggs Legacy Scholarship for Pharmacy Excellence” to direct contributions to this fund.
Louise Evaschesen
1940 – 9th March 2024
Louise was a long time member and strong supporter of the Intrepid Society. Louise and her husband Michael hosted many social events at their home and wonderful garden. Their hospitality and friendship was unique. The garden parties held in the great white marquee splendid with chandelier lighting and a broad menu with roast beef, salads and chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream were events to remember. Louise contributed her talents to many civic endeavors.
Obituary
On March 9, 2024, Louise Evaschesen, surrounded by family, passed away at the age of 83. Louise is survived by her daughters Jaclyn and Donalee, sons-in-law Wayne Warkentin and Dave Sharratt, and blessed grandchildren Walker Warkentin, Emily Sharratt, and Ryder Sharratt.
She is also survived by her sister Pat (Murray Frost), in-laws Vic Peters, Elizabeth (Murray Burt), Beth Evaschesen, June Evaschesen, Jeannie (Chris Brewer), Alice (Neil Marvin), and her precious nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Louise was predeceased by her husband, Michael, parents, John and Louie Delarue, and sister, Vicki Peters.
Louise was born in Eston, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Grand Coulee, and later, Regina. She graduated from Teacher’s College in Moose Jaw, and later, from the University of Manitoba with a B.Ed.
In 1960, she married Michael, and they spent 56 beautiful years together. They lived in Regina, then Saskatoon, before settling in Winnipeg. This became their home, where they built (and she re-built) their dream home.
Louise was a devoted teacher, principal, and Assistant Superintendent with Seven Oaks School Division. Her students were her priority and her colleagues became family. Every day brought new inspiration, and each challenge was met with collaboration and a child-centred approach.
Throughout her life, she found ways to brighten her community as a board member with CWHA, WASO, the Seven Oaks Hospital, eventually serving as Chair. She was active in the Atlantic-Garden City United Church, Commonwealth Society, and Legion Branch 215 Cribbage when she wasn’t working in her beautiful garden, entertaining dear friends, or travelling with family. Party-planning could have been Louise’s second calling. Her eye for decorations made holidays, banquets, weddings, and Grey Cup parties spectacular!
Thank you to each friend and family member who cared for her in this difficult time. Your love will never be forgotten. Remember Louise next time you see a bird, a flower, or have coffee and a scone with a friend. Celebrate the little moments like a blue sky after the rain, or a friend’s call. She found no task too big or too small, and did it all with joy.
https://cropo.com/tribute/details/9591/LOUISE-EVASCHESEN/obituary.html