Obituary of William Dwight Gelevan

William Gelevan passed away on March 27, 2024. All who knew Willy loved him, and his presence is greatly missed by his wife, Tanis and their daughters, Kirsten (husband, Omar Kazmi) and Justine (husband, John Everick).

Willy’s signature laugh could often be heard from down the hall. He was quick with a smile and a joke and lived his life in full appreciation of new adventures, learnings and opportunities.

There was little doubt to anyone that Willy was a man of great faith in God. This gave him great hope, inspiration and encouragement. Even through this difficult illness, he maintained that he was not afraid and was safe in the hands of the one who he trusted. 

He was born on May 19, 1957 in Thunder Bay Ontario to Bill and Emily Gelevan, the second of four siblings Morris (wife, Linda), Eileen (husband, Fernando) and Dan (wife, Christine). He married Tanis Enders-Gelevan in 1979. They and their daughters had many adventures, moving to various places including New Jersey, Texas and Nova Scotia.

A man of many strengths and talents, Willy loved his work. He enjoyed being both scientifically and “people” minded. He graduated from University of Waterloo and enjoyed a full career from co-op to retirement as an environmental engineer at Imperial Oil. He had a passion for communication and helping people work together. He did this in every role he had, both in and out of his profession, supporting people to help them “think about what they were thinking about” to improve their work, lives and relationships.

His celebration of life will take place at Gateway Community Church (10 Beaverbank Road, Lwr Sackville) at 1pm (Atlantic Time) on April 9th  2024. A service will also be held in Thunder Bay in late June, details to follow. Willy was a great storyteller. It is our hope to create a space to share stories of him. The family welcomes people to share memories and stories of your times with Willy at the service so we can remember him together.

For those who were unable to attend in person, below is a link to the Service recording:
Willy Gelegan Service Link