It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Richard (Rick) Wayne Wiertz on March 27, 2025, in Victoria, BC, after a short and courageous battle with cancer. Born on December 3, 1956, in Surrey, BC, Rick was a cherished father, grandfather, husband, friend, and mentor whose warmth and kindness left a lasting impact on all who knew him.
Rick is survived by his loving wife, Cindy; their daughters, Laura (Jeffrey), Jennifer (Matthew), and Danica; his beloved grandchildren, Brody, Audrey, and Owen. He also leaves behind his sister Sharon, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends he considered family. He was predeceased by his mother Jeannine, and his brother, Alan.
Rick’s passion for life was reflected in the many hobbies he loved, especially those he could share with family and friends. An avid car enthusiast, restorer, and collector, he spent countless hours in the garage, working on cars or attending car shows with his grandson, Brody, with whom he shared a special and close-knit bond. His love of baseball, particularly for the LA Dodgers, was another of his great joys. Baseball connected him with many, but it held a special significance in his relationship with his daughter, Jennifer. One of the greatest highlights of his life was recently witnessing, alongside her, what many consider to be the most unforgettable World Series home run in history—an experience he held dear, second only to the births of his children and grandchildren.
Rick will be deeply missed by his family, friends, coworkers, the communities he was a valued member of and all who had the privilege of knowing him.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, April 11, 2025, in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive. Victoria, BC. The family invites anyone who would like to pay their respects to join. In lieu of flowers, the family is setting up an education fund for his grandchildren. Details to be shared at the service.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Wiertz” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
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Just a kid that was saved by his love
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Elizabeth Childs My deepest condolences to Rick’s family and friends on his passing. I consider myself blessed to have been able to work with and learn from Rick during our time together at Etraffic and on subsequent projects. His curiosity combined with his genuine desire to understand and then use that knowledge to make the world a better place was inspiring to all who had the pleasure of working with him. His support and care for those he worked with made a positive difference in their lives and the lives of others. He will be sorely missed and fondly thought of for many years to come.
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Barry Carbol To Rick’s Family and Friends,
I’d like to offer my sincere condolences on your loss. I have know Rick for nearly 20 years as a co-worker and business associate. I always appreciated the support that he gave to all of his staff and the value that he expressed for his family. Although not an educator by training, Rick had a passion for the education projects that he led through his companies. I will miss our work together and the times we chatted over lunch and ‘solved the world’s problems’. Rest in peace.
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Jennifer Filgate I’ve worked with Rick since 2008 at Etraffic, and then for him at Moneo Medical, Qumark, and ASAP Elearning. Feels like forever, but also not long enough. He was more than a boss, he was a friend and mentor. He always tried to make the world a better place, and gave support to everyone around him. He always put people first. It was a joy and an honour to work with him. We were more like family than colleagues. He will be greatly missed. We’ll carry on what you started. It’s your turn to rest.
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Lenny I had the opportunity to be able to work with RICK WERTZ. He was always a pleasure to work with and he will be miss by all who knew him. RIP RICK you will be miss by all.
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Lorie (Hensrud) Heffernan We went to school together (junior high and Highschool) and then our paths crossed again in Edmonton. I remember you as a kind and caring individual and after reading these tributes, my memory serves me well. You were taken way too soon. RIP Rick.
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Pattie (Wiertz) Bessette I was married to Rick’s older brother, Alan, who passed from cancer in 1997. I had the lovely privilege of being the Mother to Alan’s daughter Natalee who adored her Uncle Rick and appreciated his ongoing interest and love for her and her family. We both thought we’d have him with us much longer and wish to express our sadness to the beautiful, strong women who will miss his presence everyday. Rick’s family meant the world to him and he adored his grandchildren. We will all miss you and keep you close in our hearts. So sorry to say goodbye for awhile so soon, but we know we will see you again.
Much love,
Pattie and Natalee and family
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Bruce and Debby McLeod Rick will live forever in the hearts of those of us that were given the gift, of being called his friend. His legacy is all of you, his family.
Rest in Peace
We love you
Much love, hugs Cindy
Bruce and Debby McLeod
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George Penwarn Finest kind! I’ll miss you Rick, we’ve been friends for many years. Deepest condolences to the entire family.
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Jim Napier Cindy, Laura, Jennifer, Danica. Rick was very special to me and my wife, Valerie, and he was Uncle Rick to our children, Alan, Maureen and Deborah. He was also well-loved by our dogs! I thoroughly enjoyed our time together in the News Division at CFRN-TV and radio in Edmonton where we lived through some very interesting history. My deepest sympathies to the Wiertz family.
Thank you Rick, for being our friend.
Jim Napier
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John Cantin It will be a long time before I forget your kindness towards me and my family. We had countless baseball SABR trips and our Fridays lunches at Pags were always special. A special thank you for setting up a delivery service from John’s Place during the pandemic. Condolences to all his family, he will be terribly missed. RIP my friend
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Adam McFadyen Hi Rick,
I’m sorry you have to leave so soon. We were all hoping that you’d stick around for a couple more decades. Thank you for all you’ve done, for my son, myself, & the world in general. We wouldn’t be the same without you. You’re greatly missed.
See you later,
Adam
I was honoured to know your family while I was young, even more honoured to have been watched out for with an extra set of eyes and the most profound heart. To say I am grateful for you is an understatement. I wish I could have thanked you sooner. But I know you knew even then that I was. Thank you. ❤️
To your dear and beautiful family. I am sending every ounce of love and light I can muster.. and a lot of that was built off a foundation Rick helped to crack and let me rebuild.. I love you, I honour your whole family and I will keep you forever in my thoughts and prayers. This is a massive loss to the world, I’ll do my part to continue on being the things we will miss most about him.
He was a gift to us all.