Neil Gustafson

Neil was born on April 28, 1970 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, raised in Atikokan, Ontario and moved to Kenora in 1989.

He was predeceased by his brother-in-law Bentley McDonald, his father John Gustafson, and his furbabies Duke and Duchess.

He will be forever missed by his partner of 27 years Cathy Thomson, his step sons Troy and Ian Robinson, brother in laws Robert, Ian, Allan, Tom and their families, his mother Arlene Smith, his sister Jo-Anne Gustafson, nephews Joven McDonald (Anna), Brian McDonald (Brittany), Daniel McMahon, his grandchildren Benjamin, Isla, Micah and Summer and his Aunty Helen and Uncle Vern and family in Whitemouth, Man.

Neil’s love for the bush started at a very early age while learning to run skidders and chainsaws alongside his father. Later on in life he found more outdoor passion fire fighting with the MNR, grooming trails for the Sunset Trail Riders, and leeching for Sunset Baits. His ultimate job was working down Storm Bay Road for the Henderson’s whom over the years became family.

Neil had a great love of the outdoors and was usually seen sporting some type of camo, driving around with his dogs and a couple of pails of blueberries while toting a quad or dirt bike, and kayaks in the truck.

Neil was rarely inside and at home you were likely to see him outside enjoying a nice fire or working in the gardens. In his spare time he was often dirt biking, quading, snow machining, blue berry picking, fishing or pontooning at Kramer Lake and area or on Lake of the Woods.

Special thanks to Patti, Kim, Alexis and Emerson from Paramed and the nurses in the Chemo Department for their excellent service and care.

A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date when COVID 19 restrictions allow us to gather.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to It’s a Dog Life or the Cat Shelter.

Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without and effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well.

BROWN FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTRE ENTRUSTED WITH ARRANGEMENTS.