It is with great sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Robert (Rob) Ralph Losie at the age of 61, after a hard-fought
battle with heart and kidney complications. Rob left the physical world peacefully at the Mazankowski Heart Institute in Edmonton, Alberta on August 9, 2023, with his loving wife at his side. His unbelievable strength, unending spirit, sense of humour and sunny personality while odds were against him, were remarkable.
Rob was born in Toronto on April 3, 1962, to Carol (Thomson) and Robert Wallace Losie. While it wasn’t immediately apparent, Rob’s parents quickly learned that Rob was, for lack of a better expression, “different” from the rest of the Losie children. From the
beginning, he was mischief, and brought light, laughter, and ok, some trouble, wherever he went. Rob was creative, and active, and a bit of a rebel, bending or breaking household rules for attention. Always fascinated by war, in his younger years, Rob would play war games with his GI Joes, and his sister’s Barbies, complete with firecrackers to imitate bombs. His sister was not pleased to get her dolls back in bits and pieces.
Rob was a natural athlete. Skiing, skateboarding, football, hockey, and scuba diving were his favourites and he excelled at each one. Never one to seek out attention, lol, Rob was the guy flying down the ski hill at breakneck speed in a flaming orange camouflage ski suit. Rob obtained a B. Ed in Physical Education and a B.A. honours degree in German Literature, learning to speak German and spending a summer on an exchange program in Germany, where he learned to speak German, and to make good German style wines. He taught school for two years before moving into a sales career, ending it with a role in oil and gas sales before his health forced him to retire. For hobbies, he prospected for
ammonite and painted a selection of watercolours, several of which were featured in books published by his art groups.
His fondest childhood memories were of summers spent at the family cabin at Kapasiwin, where he was well known to the neighbourhood parents and children. Some boarded up, but most just braced themselves when he arrived, in preparation for his
antics. Rob met his future wife Janis at a local nightclub frequented by students and 20 somethings. He asked her to dance, not knowing the DJ was a friend of hers, who thought it would be fun to play a seemingly endless number of slow dances, as Rob demonstrated he had 2 left feet. He then followed her to her table, where he spent about two hours talking non-stop, no doubt trying to apologize for any damage afflicted to her feet, and to convince her he was worth a real date. She either agreed or surrendered, and they
married two years later, on August 13, 1988.
There was never a dull moment in their household, or wherever he went, as his friends will attest. No question, theirs was a true love story. He left romantic and funny notes around the house for his wife, drew caricatures of himself for her birthday cards, or
anniversaries, and enjoyed the assortment of cats that shared their home at any given time. He was beloved by his nieces and nephews and earned the nickname “Uncle Bad” because of his mischievous nature, allowing them to do many things in defiance of their mothers’ wishes, and grinning sheepishly when the truth came out.
Rob is survived by his wife of 35 years, Janis (nee Benn), sisters Janice and Diane, brother Keith (Kathy), and nieces Amanda (Dara), Ellie and Jenny (Davis), nephews Thom and Will, and his great niece, Lyra. He was pre-deceased by his mother, Carol (Thomson) in 2006.
His mother-in -law summed it up perfectly. “Rob sure suffered in this life, but his
cheerfulness and sense of humour throughout his period of illness was a real tribute to the human spirit.”
Rob’s wife and family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at the Mazankowski Heart Institute for their hard work and wonderful care over the past 7 years. Their patience and support were outstanding. Thank you as well to Ruth at Simply Cremations and Funeral Services for her sincere understanding and support at a difficult time.
A memorial service and celebration of Rob’s life will be held September 23, 2023, from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Freemason’s Hall, 10318 100 Ave NW, Edmonton, Alberta. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Rob’s name to the Mazankowski Heart Institute.
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