Obituary for Wayne Alexander Russell
After a lengthy battle with heart disease, Wayne Russell passed away at the age of 79 years at the Brandon Regional Health Centre on Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Wayne is survived by his wife Florence, daughters Renay (Sam Deeb) and Nicole (Scott Barrows), and grandsons Grayson and Daniel Barrows. He was predeceased by his parents Wilf and Myra and sister Beth Lavalley.
Wayne was born on November 12, 1942 in East Kildonan, Winnipeg. Wayne loved music and played in various Winnipeg bands throughout his youth. His passion for collecting music began in high school and he would often buy records from England, sharing this new obscure music with friends and sometimes lending them out to Winnipeg radio stations. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg, Wayne spent time in England and traveled throughout Europe.
After marrying Florence, they moved to Brandon where he managed Country Music Centre for many years until its closure. He combined his love of music with his love of writing, publishing two books on Rockabilly and writing many articles for magazines and record companies around the world. He also attended many record shows in Brandon and Winnipeg as 'Mr. Fifties' with his signature fedora and piano suspenders.
Wayne was a fun and loving husband, dad and gramps and enjoyed playing with his girls and later his grandsons. He loved spending time at Caddy Lake and visiting various parks. Wayne was a sports enthusiast and was a diehard Habs fan (and vocal hater of the Leafs). His little dog, Korky, meant the world to him in his retirement years.
Many will remember Wayne's sense of humour – he loved to laugh and always looked for the humour in all situations.
At Wayne's request, a private memorial will be held in the summer.
Special thanks to the staff in the Palliative unit for their wonderful care.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Wayne may be made to the Huntington Society of Canada, #801, 20 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON N2L 1T2.
Wayne is survived by his wife Florence, daughters Renay (Sam Deeb) and Nicole (Scott Barrows), and grandsons Grayson and Daniel Barrows. He was predeceased by his parents Wilf and Myra and sister Beth Lavalley.
Wayne was born on November 12, 1942 in East Kildonan, Winnipeg. Wayne loved music and played in various Winnipeg bands throughout his youth. His passion for collecting music began in high school and he would often buy records from England, sharing this new obscure music with friends and sometimes lending them out to Winnipeg radio stations. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg, Wayne spent time in England and traveled throughout Europe.
After marrying Florence, they moved to Brandon where he managed Country Music Centre for many years until its closure. He combined his love of music with his love of writing, publishing two books on Rockabilly and writing many articles for magazines and record companies around the world. He also attended many record shows in Brandon and Winnipeg as 'Mr. Fifties' with his signature fedora and piano suspenders.
Wayne was a fun and loving husband, dad and gramps and enjoyed playing with his girls and later his grandsons. He loved spending time at Caddy Lake and visiting various parks. Wayne was a sports enthusiast and was a diehard Habs fan (and vocal hater of the Leafs). His little dog, Korky, meant the world to him in his retirement years.
Many will remember Wayne's sense of humour – he loved to laugh and always looked for the humour in all situations.
At Wayne's request, a private memorial will be held in the summer.
Special thanks to the staff in the Palliative unit for their wonderful care.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Wayne may be made to the Huntington Society of Canada, #801, 20 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON N2L 1T2.