ADRIAN NICHOLAS JEREMY WORTLEY

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

ADRIAN NICHOLAS JEREMY WORTLEY

February 23, 1973 - March 30, 2026

Adrian passed away on Monday, March 30, 2026, at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg, with Kathleen at his side.

Adrian is survived by his wife, Kathleen Epp; and their daughters, Kiera Wortley and Thea Wortley. He is survived by his mom, Marilyn Boyd; his siblings, Joel and Laura Wortley, Anne-Marie Chartrand and Robert Bighetty; his mother-in-law, Louise Epp, Kathleen's siblings, Roger Epp and Rhonda Harder Epp, Vern and Karen Epp, Lowell and Sandi Epp, Lyndon and Sandra Epp; many nieces and nephews; his Yorkshire family. He is also survived by his friends-who-are-family, Mick, Marnë, Paige, Ben, Madelyn, Lauryn; and many friends and colleagues in Winnipeg and across the country.

Adrian was predeceased by his father, John Wortley, his father-in-law, Clarence Epp, and his grandparents. Also, his beloved labradoodle, Coffee.

Adrian was born in Winnipeg, spent his childhood summers at the family cabin at Lake Wanipigow, and did his full schooling at École Précieux-Sang through which he became fully bilingual. He did an Honours History degree at the University of Ottawa and worked as a page in the House of Commons during his first year of university. He returned to Winnipeg and completed his degree as a visiting student at the University of Manitoba. This is where he met Kathleen, the love of his life.

Adrian and Kathleen were married in 1996 and their twin daughters, Thea and Kiera, were born in 2000.

Adrian worked for most of his career with the Department of Canadian Heritage, ending as the Acting Regional Director General, Prairies and Northern Region. He loved his work and his colleagues. Many mornings started with "the People of Canada need me!" He valued especially the opportunities he had to travel to the North and to engage with people and projects there. He knew this was a privilege.

Adrian loved many things; he did nothing half-heartedly. He loved running, good food, craft beer, barbecuing in the backyard, having a few books in progress at any given time, the Blue Jays, dogs, physical comedy, travel, road trips, Yorkshire, music of many genres (not jazz!), live concerts, live theatre, the Olympics, fantasy baseball and hockey, and the list goes on. He loved spending time with friends and family, sharing food, beer, good stories, and big laughs.

And most of all he loved his family. Time spent with Kathleen, Kiera, and Thea was his favourite time. His pride in and love for his daughters was immense. He was utterly devoted to them and was their biggest fan, cheering them on in all their endeavours and teaching them the value of a well-delivered and well-timed clever line.

Adrian and Kathleen shared a deep love and were the best of friends. They were partners in everything, most of all in raising their family and building their lives together. They loved nothing more than hopping in the car and taking a road trip, listening to music and podcasts, finding quirky stopping points, and just spending time together. They found humour in almost all their adventures and remembered every day how fortunate they were to have found each other.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at the Centro Caboto Centre, 1055 Wilkes Avenue, Winnipeg.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Manitoba Marathon in Adrian’s honour: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/adrian-wortley-memorial-gift.

We thank the amazing people at CancerCare Manitoba and the Riverview Health Centre for the care they provided over the last years and months.

A photo biography honouring Adrian’s life is accessible through the 'tributes' link below.

Reaching the finish line, never walking, and enjoying the race. These three, in this order, are my goals. - Haruki Murakami

ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Simple Cremation & Life Celebrations

204-421-5501

Tributes: EthicalDeathCare.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 11, 2026