Wayne was born in Regina, Saskatchewan to Delia Strandlund (nee Jordens) and was later adopted by Bert Strandlund. He spent his young formative years on the family farm in Broadview, Saskatchewan until August of 1962 when Bert and Delia packed up a station wagon with 7 kids, an uncle and the family dog and drove to Victoria, BC. Wayne resided in Victoria ever since.
Wayne’s pride and joy were his children, Jason (Hannah and Ty), Hali (Darren, children Cole and Nicholas) and Rafer (Vicky, children Chelsea (Katie), Jasmine and the newest addition great grandson Fletcher) who all worked together at the family company. Fisgard is a true family enterprise that he was extremely proud of.
Wayne was fortunate to have known many people but there were a few who wrapped their arms around him throughout various stages of his life. Terry Orr, Bob Herr, Lawrence and Diana Russel, the Paniz family (Umberto, Dawn and children Allissa, Jessica, Arianna and Kiarra), Tania Miller, Stephanie Ustina, Elena Markos and Lorraine Strandlund.
Wayne’s large family included five brothers and two sisters. Alvin (Lorri), Terry (Teresa), Darlene, Randy (Lori), Paddy (Sue), Trevor (Kim), and Gail, along with numerous beloved uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces.
Wayne was an entrepreneur at heart and a deep thinker with many interests. He was passionate about music, writing, mathematics, education, hockey, football (a proud coach of the BC Champion Victoria Hornets in the early 80s) and gardening. He loved cats (especially Moosh Moosh) and a good ol’ toasted bologna and cheese sandwich. While he enjoyed the simple things in life, he was complicated, emotional and always ready for a good debate or fight if warranted.
Not one to sit on the sidelines Wayne served as President and/or Director of numerous associations including the Victoria Real Estate Board, British Columbia Real Estate Board, Real Estate Council Of BC, the BC Notary Society and served as Chancellor of Royal Roads University, a position he was extremely proud of. His dedication also flowed to the arts and local community enthusiastically supporting the Victoria Symphony and many other related organizations.
Wayne was quietly proud of his Metis heritage. His great Aunt Marguerite Belhumeur was wife to Louis Riel, founding father of Manitoba and from Paris his 13th great grandfather, Louis Hebert, was the first apothecary of Canada and settler of Quebec. A very interesting family history.
There is so much more to share about this icon of a man and words can not describe how much he brought to our lives and how much he will be missed. His legacy will continue!
Please join us at 2:30 pm on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in the Sequoia Centre, at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, to celebrate the life of this incredible man.
Should you wish to honour Wayne’s legacy, donations can be made to the Wayne Strandlund Award for Indigenous and Metis Students at Royal Roads University or the Victoria Symphony Society.
https://www.royalroads.ca/wayne-strandlund-award-indigenous-students-0
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Niels Agger-Gupta
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Keegan McIntyre July 26, 2023
I found out about Wayne’s passing last night and want to pass along my condolences. Wayne was a passionate mentor and dear friend. We shared countless intellectual conversations, often journeying late into the night. I will always cherish the hand crafted Guardian Angel glory bead rosary Wayne gifted me upon the purchase of my first home. I want to share Wayne’s three stages of life, that he once shared with me. Needs. Wants. Elegance.
Keegan McIntyre
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Alison Brown I just heard of Wayne’s passing tonight and want to pass along my condolences to his family.
Wayne and I were regulars at a popular Victoria restaurant and I very much enjoyed our conversations.
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Veronica Stocker I met Wayne in 1997, when I was living there n Vancouver and work sometimes brought me to Victoria.
In 2000, I moved to Los Angeles. He never forgot me. Every year, without fail for the past 23 years, he remembered both my son & I on Christmas, and always remembered my birthday, April 18th. We were very proud that we were both born Aries.
April 2nd I wished him a happy birthday and for the first time I received no reply. My own birthday came and went, and again silence. For the past 10 days it has weighed on me, until I decided to search…
Love you always Wayne, you will be dearly missed. Veronica
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Sharon Peuramaki Wayne was such a private man, but if you were lucky enough to spend time with him, he made you feel special. It was as if there was no one else in the crowded room. He was kind, generous and truly special. Than you for the Glory Beads Wayne, I will treasure them and think of you and of my Angel often. You will be missed cousin. Love Sharon
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Jonathan Leung My deep condolences to you and the rest of the family.
Uncle Wayne meant a lot to my family and was always so good to us. Truly a caring human.
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Evan Noseworthy So very sad to hear of Wayne’s passing. We have known Wayne through Fisgard as investors in the business for many years and always enjoyed speaking with him when in the office. A beautiful man whom we will miss.
Evan Noseworthy and Judith Gray
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Pat Orr I’m so sorry to hear of Wayne’s passing. He was a really nice man , and will be missed by many. My condolences to all the strandlunds
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Sheilah Sudsbury My deepest condolences Hali to you and yourfamily. Wayne sounded like a wonderful gentleman, husband, father,and grandfather. Nothing really prepares us for such a heart wrenching loss. May your memories of him become your treasures.
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Andrew Maxwell Hali and The Strandlund family.
Your Dad had a very positive influence on me, while coaching me on the football field. He believed in me and gave me a lot of responsibility. A great and thoughtful man. He will be missed.
Andy
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Nancy Troke Hali,
I never had the chance to meet your Dad, but I know how much you loved him. Sending you and your entire family all my love. You’re in my thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time. It’s so very difficult to say goodbye to our loved ones. ❤️
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Larissa and Your Filogix Family Our hearts go out to Hali and her whole family during this very difficult time. Hoping everyone can come together to love and support each other and share in all the good memories. Lots of love,
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Meinhard (Meini) Ickert Hali, I’m so sorry for your loss. Wishing you and the entire Strandlund family much comfort, courage and peace during this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
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Kim McKenney Hali, I send my deepest condolences to you and your family. My thoughts are with you in this time of sorrow. Cherish each memory every day
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Colleen Milne (McLeary) Dear Hali and family….
I am so very sorry to hear of Wayne’s passing! This is a huge loss for everyone whose lives were touched by his generous and unique personality! I first met Wayne in the 70’s and really got to know him better during my real estate career, 1987-2018. He contributed so much. I can’t imagine how you and your family are feeling. I send my condolences, love and prayers. May ALL the amazing memories of time with Wayne ease your grief and keep him close always. Colleen
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Lee Perry My condolences Hali to the entire family. I was never fortunate enough to meet your father but know how much he meant to you, the family and the community. I have to believe your dad was a lot like you in many ways and instilled so much of himself into you. I see you as compassionate, loyal, a leader, a visionary and respectful. May you find solace in the fact you have cherished memories to get you through these tough times. Your father sound like a man I would have been proud to call Dad. Thinking of you and sending hugs and love.
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Sabeena Bubber My deepest Condolences to the Strandlund family. Wayne has left behind a great legacy of greatness not only in the work that he did but the family that he raised. You are in my thoughts.
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Franca Hali & Family,
On behalf of everyone at Premiere, we send our condolences to the Strandlund family. May you all find comfort and strength as you gather to honor your dad.
So sorry for our loss.
Everyone at Premiere Mortgage
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Catherine Riggins I worked at Royal Roads University when Wayne was a board member and then our beloved Chancellor. Wayne was so proud of our rebranding work, and was always a passionate advocate of our marketing campaigns.
To me Wayne evoked many of the brand attributes that make RRU so unique. Passion, strength, honesty and not afraid to be different, quirky even.. and lots of spunk.
Wayne I have the glory beads you made for me with my name engraved proudly hanging in my office. ❤️
My deepest condolences to the family
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Earl Pleasance My sincere condolences to the entire Strandlund family, the staff at Fisgard, and Wayne’s many friends and acquaintances who are feeling the loss.
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Karin Schmidtke and Gordon Hone Our heartfelt condolences go out to Hali and the Strandlund family.
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VWR Capital Corp. On behalf of the VWR Capital Corp. family, we send our condolences to Wayne’s family.
Wayne was a committed community contributor and a devoted family man. He will be greatly missed by all those that knew him.
With our deepest sympathies,
Everyone at VWR Capital Corp.
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Melanie Zeegers My deepest condolences Hali to you and your family.
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David Leeming My condolences to the Strandlund family. I first met Wayne at UVic. He was passionate about mathematics and retained that passion throughout his life. We maintained a connection long after he left UVic. I was so proud of Wayne when he was appointed Chancellor of Royal Roads University. He was a kind and generous man. I was the fortunate recipient of a rosary from Wayne which I will treasure forever. Rest in peace my friend.
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Diane Armstrong My loving condolences to the Strandlund family. Wayne was such a loving cousin to so many of us.
I am so thankful to Wayne for the gift of a beautiful Glory Beads rosary a few months ago….it feels all the more precious to me now!
Love you Wayne xo
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Kyra Wong Hali, I know how much you loved your dad. Sending you and your entire family all my love. You’re in my thoughts and prayers at this time. ❤️
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William Brown Wayne and I crossed paths many times in our careers in financing, real estate and me as a notary public. I got to know him best during our time on the Real Estate Council of BC where his exceptional listening skills often resulted in perspectives that might have been missed in normal debate. I was fortunate to be on the receiving end of his mentorship and this enriched my experiences in my career and life itself. I am retired now but I suspect that Wayne never did hang up the shield. He was so very proud of his family and the business he built. I’ll forever be grateful for the time I shared with him along the way.
My sincere condolences to the Strandlund family on the loss of Wayne in your lives.
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Nandi “Gurr” Gurprasad My heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the entire Strandlund family, especially Hali, Jason, Rafer, Trevor, Randy and Paddy. Wayne’s accomplishment as a father, son, brother, coach, friend, mentor and business leader/entrepreneur and philanthropist will always be underrated. He was far more influential and impactful than he even realized – he inadvertently taught this immigrant kid the power of listening at the age of 18 and I’ll never forget how encouraging he was when this lightweight tried out for the Hornets… RIP Eternal Coach Strandlund.
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Rhonda Hawthorne Brings me great sadness and a heavy heart to hear of Wayne’s passing.
Wayne was such an inspiration, kind and extremely knowledgable.
I enjoyed listening to him and working with him. He was truly a mentor.Not all people that come into one’s life make such an impact. Wayne just had that knack of making all people feel good about themselves. Wayne listened to people and he would look at things with a different perspective. Give solid and sound advice.
Truly an inspiring man
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Vern Leadbetter So sorry to hear.
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Adam Korbin Condolences to the Strandlunds and the Fisgaard family. Wayne built a legacy; may his memory be a blessing.
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John Middleton I went to school with Wayne at St. Louis College. I was always convinced that he had a photographic memory as he could always ace his exams without studying. He was a great guy and will be missed!
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David Babin Wayne was an incredible man with huge insight and wisdom and impact on those he touched. I was always amazed at his genuine interest in people around him. Wayne always took the time and effort to listen intently and with purpose – I often wondered if it was a learned behavior or if he had this natural instinct to genuinely connect with people. He always asked how you were doing. I was never a person to believe in the spiritual world, rather a scientist at heart, but I reveled in Wayne’s ability to somehow connect with this spiritual sense. He was always at ease and calm whenever we interacted. He was eternally thankful, most kind, and generous, and had a great sense of humour. I always respected Wayne deeply.
Wayne was one of the only people to have touched me so deeply, to make me cry with full emotion as he presented me with a personally hand crafted set of prayer beads he called meditation beads – a cherished gift I hold dearly. I just held them a week ago when I heard he wasn’t doing well, and thought of our many discussions over the years involving politics, real estate, finance, music, sports, family, chamber of commerce dealings, health.
I feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to have met Wayne, and to have felt his insight through the years.
My deepest condolences and love and hugs to the entire Strandlund family. Wayne’s passing leaves a magnitude ripple of loss for so many. Wayne will be truly missed.
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Francis Peet Sincere best wishes to the entire Strandlund family and our thoughts are with you all.
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Jill Stafford To Hali and the entire family, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. I am truly sorry for your loss of this wonderful man you called Dad, brother, husband, and grandpa. May he rest in peace. ❤️ xo
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Ted Hancock My condolences go out to all of the family and friends who knew, loved and respected Wayne. I include myself in that list. I met Wayne about 20 years ago when he contracted my company for cabinetry. We soon grew to become more than just acquaintances through many lively conversations and sharing of stories from our mutual prairie background and good wine.
One of the best people to have passed through my life and I feel blessed to have been part of his wider circle.
Cheers to his legacy.
Ted Hancock
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Joe Pinheiro and Lucy Biocca We wish you sympathy to bring peace, strength to face the days ahead, loving memories to cherish and hold in your heart and loads of love Hali.
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Brian Gerhardt Our grandpas were brothers,
Our mothers best of friends,
We shared the title of first born and our early years were intertwined with life near St Hubert, the Pipestone Valley, Broadview school, the Cowessess First Nation, and the Qu’Apelle valley.
My oldest sister recently suggested that you were the older brother I never had!
RIP Wayne
You have an amazing legacy.
Brian
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Allan Cahoon Wayne was a “character” and will be remembered for his generosity, energy and respect for his heritage. Royal Roads University was a beneficiary of his time and talent
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Brett Hinch Although I have only met Wayne a couple of times in my life, I and my family (Mother, Father, Sister and Wife) have all benefited from Wayne’s good business sense. Thanks to Wayne, in times of uncertainty, we were all better off. It’s difficult to put a value on one’s peace of mind, but that is what Wayne provided for us.
Our sincere solaces to all those who knew Wayne, and special heartfelt condolences his family and “crew”.
A BIG “Thank you” to Wayne, from the Hinch family
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WENDY PAYNE Wayne was a classmate of my husband, Dennis Payne. They kept in contact for years and after Dennis’ death, Wayne kept in contact with me. He retrieved pieces of the old St. Louis College and gave them to his classmates. I’d like to think that he and Dennis are having a great reunion with other members of the class of 65. Thank you Wayne.
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Lisa Robinson The world has lost one of the “good guys” with Wayne’s passing.
I worked at Royal Roads University when Wayne was our Chancellor. We were so honoured to have, Wayne’s active participation at our annual employee Service Celebration. Wayne always spoke from the heart and made people feel so special and recognized for their commitment to the University. I was the recipient of two honours that Wayne bestowed upon me during my time at RRU and I’ll be forever grateful for these incredible acknowledgements.
Wayne embodied the type of servant leadership that I so admire. He was truly an amazing “human” being, I will miss him and his kind and thoughtful heart.
I send my sincere condolences to the Strandlund family and friends.
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Jim Duncan My condolences to all the family and friends who knew, and will miss, Wayne.
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Rhonda Johnson Our most sincere condolences to the Strandlund family. May you find strength and support from each other. We are thinking of you and send our blessings and love.
Love Harry Sandhu and Rhonda Johnson
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Brian Duncan Wayne was a special person, and I am grateful to have known him. We all graduated from St. Louis College in 1965 and have stayed in touch since. The twelve apostles got nothing on us. I will miss him but will never forget what he stood for…..
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Colleen Hoppins My sincere condolences to the family at Wayne’s passing. I greatly appreciated his generosity and kindness. Hych’ka siem.
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Barb Stoddard It is with heartfelt gratitude that I remember Wayne. During his term as Chancellor of RRU, he generously and humbly gave his time to address several RRU cohorts of the Master of Arts in Leadership program. Students offered the following summary of Chancellor Strandlund’s inspiring and insightful reflections and storytelling:”I am in awe of this man. He has enriched my life and time on campus. He modeled my vision of the leader that I aspire to be. His stories spoke volumes to the value RRU places in its students!”. Thank you, Wayne. You made a difference;it was my honour and privilege to know you. Sending warm condolences to all.
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Marion Webb Sincere sympathyto the Strandlund Family. He will be greatly missed by all. Gof Blrss.
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Ken Pollard My Condolences to all the Strandlund family.
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Linda Petrovic My sincere condolences to all who knew and loved Wayne.
I met Wayne twice in my life. The first time was by accident literally when he and Terry Orr potentially saved my life by pulling me out of a serious car accident in the early morning hours of April 1, 1967. Fifty six years later on my 74th birthday I decided I wanted to find out who it was that came to my aid and so the search began. Finally my saviours were found thanks to my search via Old Victoria website.
My second meeting was October 16, 2022 when Wayne and Terry made the trip to Mill Bay to meet me. I am forever grateful that I got the chance to thank both these gentleman in person for their heroic deed.
Blessings all round to all his family.
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Colleen Macintosh (Orr) Rest in Peace Wayne. I’ve had the rosary that you gifted me hanging inside my front door in Ireland since I received it. It will be a constant reminder of you and your generosity. My heart goes out to all of your family at this sorrowful time.
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Terry Orr Condolences to the the family. Wayne was truly a remarkable man and will be missed by many. He and his family have a special spot in our families hearts. He touched us all.
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RICH ALLEN Deepest condolences to the entire family. What a great legacy his life created.
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BARBARA COOK Wishing you peace, courage, and lots of love at this time of sorrow. My heart goes out to you at this difficult time. Wishing you the best and know you have my full support in every moment always. I am thinking of you xoxo
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Cherryl Clark I remember you well Cuz
We didn’t see our cousins often with the distance between us so the few visits we had are burned into my memories…
My heart is heavy and my thoughts are with the family and many many friends… you will be remembered always. Today I burn a candle to honor that memory and I will have a bologna and cheese sandwich Rest in Peace Wayne ♾
Much ❤ Light and Strength to all at this difficult time Remembered forever Cherryl Clark
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Gord Robbins Very sorry to hear of Wayne’s passing.
Our condolences to the entire Strandlund crew, and all extended members.
~ Robbins Family
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Marie Stradeski I am so glad I had the opportunity to recently meet the wonderful generous expressive person Wayne. He has left quite a legacy and in the few visits I have had with him, he made a lasting impression on me. My condolences to all who will miss him.
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Suzanne Hagan Hi Hali
Wishing you peace, comfort, courage, and lots of love at this time of sorrow. My heart goes out to you at this difficult time. I am thinking of you and your family. Love Suzanne Hagan
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Nancy Ingram My deepest condolences to the family. He was a remarkable man who will be missed by many.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Wayne every now and then in his time at RRU. Yes, he generously met with MA-Leadership cohorts and shared his philosophy of leadership through giving, inspiring all of us with his stories! Every time I come to RRU, I am reminded we have Wayne to thank for the totem pole at the top of the hill welcoming all visitors to campus. Named “S’ael”, a Sencoten word for “harmony,” Wayne made it possible for Tsawout artist Tom Lafortune to carve this pole, with the assistance of Howard LaFortune Jr.. Of course, Wayne’s portrait hangs in the Quarterdeck, with the other former chancellors, but it is the totem pole that is a constant reminder of Wayne. My deepest condolences to the family. Wayne is missed by many.