Born ~ October 26, 1945
Date of Passing ~ March 5, 2024
With profound sorrow, the family announces the death of Adriano (Adrian) Valentin on March 5, at home.
He is survived by the love of his life Jane Dick and by beloved family and friends across Canada and around the world, including brother-in-law Bob, sister-in-law Lynda, nieces Michal-Joan (Mark), Kathryn, Pamela (Brian), and great-niece Audrey.
Born Adrian Weiss in Bucharest, his family lived as refugees in Israel after the war, then
settled in Milan, Italy where he did all his schooling and compulsory military service. He
came to Canada as an adult, doing graduate studies in agriculture at the University of
Manitoba, then holding various jobs including for the federal government, Versatile, and
finally as a teacher of science in French Immersion at Kelvin High School.
He was a scuba diver, a glider pilot, and a black belt in jiu-jitsu, among many physical
accomplishments. He was multilingual. He never hesitated to help family, friends and
neighbours with computer problems. He loved to tinker. He loved animals, especially
cats, otters, birds, rabbits, and was a squirrel whisperer, with a T-shirt to prove it.
He had endless curiosity and profound reverence for the majesty and wonder of every
aspect of the natural world. He was passionate about caring for this planet and every
living thing on it.
The family extends its deepest gratitude for the compassionate care and support of Dr.
S. Robillard, and the wonderful CancerCare and Palliative Care teams, as well as to
friends near and far who upheld Adriano and us with their love.
A green burial has taken place, with arrangements by Hunter Funerals. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 20 at1:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 603 Wellington Crescent, Winnipeg, MB. In lieu of flowers, donations in Adriano's memory can be made to Friends of the Earth Canada, Canadian Wildlife Federation, or other environmental/conservation organizations, or towards cancer research.
He lived gently on the earth, and now enters its full embrace.