Obituary
It is with sad hearts that the family of Walter (Wally) Rennie born July 20th, 1954, in Little St. Lawrence (Joe Harbor), Newfoundland announce the loss of their beloved spouse, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather. On his 3rd battle with cancer, Wally passed peacefully and comfortably in his sleep surrounded by his loving family in the early hours of October 9th, 2022, in Salmon Arm, BC.
Wally had a happy childhood life playing on the hills around Joe Harbor with his many brothers and sisters. A place he treasured and always considered home. At a young age Wally met and married June Pike and shortly thereafter had their first child, Michelle (Shelly-moo), born June 15th, 1972, in St. Johns, NL. To support his new family, he went to trade school to get his welding certificate, a trade which he excelled in for the many years to come.
In 1975, they left their hometown and moved to Faro, Yukon where he was employed at a local mine. They welcomed their second daughter, Deborah (Bootsie) on June 8th, 1975. After a long strike at the mine in Faro, Wally took a short-term job in Grande Cache, Alta.
In 1979, he moved his family to Elliot Lake, Ontario and soon after his namesake Walter (Booker T) was born on January 2nd, 1980. After working at the mine for a short time he moved his young family back to his hometown in Newfoundland. Although he was saddened to leave his hometown again, he accepted a great job offer from Gibraltar Mines and relocated his family to McLeese Lake, BC. Over the next 34 years Wally worked hard as a miner, welder, industrial salesman, mine safety manager and mine rescue coordinator in the McLeese Lake/Williams Lake area.
Wally took much pride in his work and was valued by his many employers and coworkers throughout his working career. He had a passion for Mine Rescue and enjoyed sharing his skills and knowledge with many over the years. He loved family gatherings and made sure to bring us together regularly. He dedicated countless hours and made many sacrifices to be at hockey arenas near and far with his son Walter who was on skates by the age 4. In his leisure time you could often find Wally tinkering on old vehicles and motorcycles in his yard, camping with his family or spending hours on the lake fishing.
In 2016 Wally started the next chapter of his life in Kamloops, British Columbia. It was there that he found his spouse Roxanne L’Esperance whom he would spend the next 6 years with. They had many adventures together travelling to the Maritimes, Costa Rica, and Vancouver Island. They relocated to Sicamous in 2021 where they chose to retire. Over the years they attended, and hosted many gatherings, events, dances, fishing, and boating trips. Wally will be missed by many in the Kamloops – Sicamous area, especially Matt and Sammy.
An entertainer at heart, Wally loved to sing and write songs, play guitar, harmonica, accordion and of course Newfie spoons. He wrote a beautiful song about growing up on the Joe Harbor Hills that brings us a glimpse into his love for his home and his time spent there. We will treasure the images that he created in this song forever and are honored that he shared this with everyone.
He will be remembered by many for his funny stories and putting smiles on others faces. Alcoholics Anonymous played a large role in his life and throughout his healing and recovery, he built many lasting friendships and thought of his AA friends as his second family. Wally loved to travel and meet new people, striking up conversations with strangers everywhere he’d go. His favorite place to travel was to go back home to Newfoundland to be with his many friends and family.
Survived by his spouse Roxanne L’Esperance, of Sicamous, BC, his children Michelle Rennie (Eddy) of Williams Lake BC, Deborah Green (Jeff) of Williams Lake, BC and Walter Rennie of Kelowna, BC, his grandchildren Kyle, Nicole, Sarah, Haley, Grace, Abigail and Nathan, great grandchildren Madilynn, Liam, Matthew and Jacob.
Also survived by his siblings: Albert Rennie Jr. (Mary) of Kemptville, ON, Howard Rennie (Linda) of Harvey, NB, Carmel Rennie Edwards (Patrick) of Lawn, NL, Sylvia Rennie Tarrant (Nicholas) of St. John, NB, Cyril Rennie (Valerie) of Balmertown, ON, Theresa Rennie Courtois (Jacques) of Mashteuiatsh, QC, Harry Rennie (Elizabeth) of Williams Lake, BC, John Rennie (Betty) of St. John, NB, Brian Rennie (Kelly) of Houston, BC, Richard Rennie (Ingrid Botting) of Winnipeg, MB.
Predeceased by his parents Albert Rennie and Mary Bridget Rennie of Little St. Lawrence NL and 4 siblings Charles Sr. Rennie of Little St. Lawrence, Sarah Rennie of Little St. Lawrence, Charles Jr. Rennie of Little St. Lawrence, Rita Hennebury (Clyde) of Marystown, NL.
Wally will be greatly missed by all his friends and family. His songs and stories will live on in our hearts always and bring us comfort when we remember him.
Everyone is invited to attend his Celebration of Life which will be held in Williams Lake in the spring of 2023 (more details to follow). There will also be a Celebration of Life held in Newfoundland the summer of 2023 where his ashes will be laid to rest with his parents. A viewing will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19th, 2022 from 1:00 – 2:00pm at Bowers Funeral Home, Salmon Arm, BC. After the viewing, Roxanne will be hosting a small gathering in her home, 610 Cedar Street, Sicamous from 2:30 – 4:30pm.
In leu of flowers please consider donating to Movember Canada. Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Donate Here: ca.movember.com/donate
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Walter Rennie July 20 1954 October 9 2022 (age 68)..
Death notice for the town of: Salmon Arm, Province: Colombie britanique