Avis de décès : M. David Omer "Woody" St. Amand (1954-09-07 - 2015-06-02)

David Omer "Woody" St. Amand: September 7, 1954 – June 2, 2015 On the 2nd of June, 2015, after a valiant struggle with a debilitating illness, Dave had a peaceful departure, leaving the world a sadder and less interesting place. Born in Port Arthur to Osias and Lempi St. Amand, Dave attended Hillcrest High School and then traveled widely, living at various times in Toronto, Calgary, Victoria, Montreal and Surrey. During those years he worked at a variety of jobs, mainly in demolition and steel fabricating, and became an excellent craftsman, artist, and cook. In 2003 he returned to Thunder Bay to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, loving partner, and best friend, Patricia "Trish" Taylor. Dave's passions were many and diverse: he took up running and completed a marathon, but his proudest moment was completing Red Rock's gruelling race up Paju Mountain. His time spent foraging in the outdoors led to a deep appreciation and knowledge of mushrooms and edible wilds. For the last 10 years he taught a hugely popular course in mushrooms through Confederation College which gave him a distinct status in the community as "the mushroom guy". When arthritis forced him to give up running, Dave still attended the races, taking pictures of the runners and supporting them from the sidelines. At the time of his death he was working on two books, one about mushrooms and one about the world of magic. Besides Trish and her children, Kelty Stapleton, Jill (Colin) Franks, and Cody Loukola, Dave leaves behind his older sister, Marlene Allaire; nephews Dallas (Trish) Allaire and Parris Allaire; stepson Justin (Michelle) Brown and Colin (Mopho) Brown; his loving sister- and brother-in-law, Margie Taylor and Ken Watts; numerous other relatives, and many, many friends. Trish will always have memories of walking their dog, Panda, through the trails in George Burke Park, x-country skiing in Centennial Park, and cycling the McIntyre River bike path. A celebration of Dave's life will be held later this summer in Thunder Bay.