RUSSEL GOOSSEN (RUSS)

Condolences & Memories (7 entries)

• Russ was Russ. He certainly was a character and individual that I will fondly remember. I'll never forgot seeing one of his former students in the spotlight and chatting with that student as to how he got there. He immediately responded Russ. Without question I am confident there have been many many many more individuals who Russ inspired over the years. I learned from Russ that even in tough times you have to laugh and importantly have hope. Being authentic and true to yourself regardless is important. I am sorry that I did not get the chance to reconnect with Russ prior to his passing however grateful that I ran into him at one of the festivals a few years back as he maintained the same demeanor which made him who he was. If anything, do not hesitate to connect and reach out to individuals you want to connect with. - Posted by: peter price (friend and former colleague ) on: Sep 26, 2022

• My husband Keijo and Russ commuted to work with another teacher for 3 years. Problems were solved, stories were told and many laughs were remembered. Thank you for being part of that journey Russ. May you Rest now in Peace. - Posted by: Keijo & Darlene Rantala and family. (Co worker) on: Sep 26, 2022

• While I have many wonderful memories of my dear uncle Russ and brilliant stories to tell of our time together, I believe one event can sum up perfectly the kind of man he was to me. After my 18th birthday he cooked me up a marvelous steak and baked potatoes on the fire, we drank his famous home made wine, and sang some tunes while our minds faded. He got up very suddenly shouting and dancing his way into his little green trimmed house and told me sternly to keep my eyes shut, he had a surprise. What he came back with was one of the most beautiful, tender, gifts of my life, a bag of chicken bones. Wish bones. A bag he had been collecting since I was in dippers, a bag of bones from all his soups, and he said he was waiting for a beautiful moment for us to share them. As the sun set so spectacularly we spent the whole night breaking them together, he said he wanted me to have all the wishes in the world, to have the best life ever and never stop dreaming. At the end of the night I asked, so what were your wishes? He said he wished on each bone that all of mine would come true. He was a wonderful uncle and I thank him deeply for setting me up to have a beautiful life. I will miss him but he will always be in my thoughts and heart. - Posted by: Mira Koop (Niece) on: Sep 25, 2022

• Russ and I became friends when singing in the junior choir at Windsor Park United Church. We later attended Boy Scouts together with his brother Gene. We ran into each other when we both lived in St Vital. - Posted by: Dave Pratt (Friend) on: Sep 23, 2022

• I am deeply saddened to hear of Russ's passing. We both went to school together and he was in every way one of my favourite people. I remember going to Gimli a number of years ago and filming him in the roll of Algernon Moncrieff in the Importance of Being Earnest which by chance is the same roll I portrayed in our high school production of the same play in 1972. "The theatre aspirers to awake the soul with tender strokes of art, to raise the genius and mend the heart". Like everything Russ, you did that so very well. God bless you and rest in peace my friend. Until we meet again. - Posted by: john nakielny (school mate and friend) on: Sep 22, 2022

• Russ was my teacher 2 years ago, one of my best teachers I ever had. I remember seeing him last year at the door waiting for his students to come to class. I can’t believe he passed away. I remember he liked to eat potatoes in our morning break and he told us he made his own red wine. He gave me one of his bottles of wine that I still have, he had it in his backpack in our classroom, we went outside to put it in my car so nobody at school would notice. I’m gonna miss you Russ, I already missed you last year. My condolences to the family. - Posted by: Norma Cardenas (Student ) on: Sep 22, 2022

• Sad and surprised to hear about Russ's passing. We both volunteered for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and he was a kind and positive person with a zest for life. Very sorry for your loss. - Posted by: Alison Steele (Friend) on: Sep 21, 2022