Obituaries

PAUL RAMUS PANTON At Paul’s request, there will be no service. To remember him you need only look at the luminous surface of any one of his hundreds of paintings and photographs. Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204 – 897 – 4665, is in care of arrangements. wojciksfuneralchapel.com.Publish Date: Oct 26, 2013PAUL RAMUS PANTON On Monday, October 7, 2013, Paul died at the age of 78, ending a long struggle with lung disease. Paul is survived by brothers Terry (Betty) and Clive (Sue); nephews Randy and David and niece Sandra; Shauna, Brittney and Brad Panton (Randy’s children); Vicky Raymond and Marcy (Sandra’s children); cousins Wilson and John Fraser; cousin Iona Godfrey and family; friends Erika Bennedik; Jerry Ameis and Fran Gropp; Greg McCullough and Cathy Macdonald; Steve Jorgenson; David Loftson and Louise Waldman; Marshall Ballard; Gary Essar; and Bill Neville. In 1935, Paul was born in Melita, Manitoba, the middle son of Reginald Panton and Emily Fraser. He grew up in Kakabeka Falls, Fort William and New Westminster. As a young man he worked for small town newspapers first in Melita and then in Boissevain and as a reporter for the Penticton Herald in 1966 to 1967 before returning to university. At Brandon University, Paul gained a certificate in Education and a supportive community of friends. Work as secretary of the Music School lead to President Lloyd Dulmage hiring him as executive assistant to the Brandon Boundaries Commission in 1970 to 1971 following Dulmage’s appointment as commissioner. Paul wrote the commission report and served briefly as Dulmage’s special assistant at the university. Painting was the most important thing in Paul’s life, an interest first nurtured by Helen Douglas and by Joe Plaskett, whose encouragement and friendship meant so much. Steve Repa also profoundly influenced Paul’s development as an artist. Whether he chose painting or painting chose him, he was never certain. Victory over that other uncertainty – accepting his gay orientation as positive and not destructive – gave him the energy and clarity to undertake life as a full-time painter. Paul exhibited professionally starting in 1964 and was a contributor to several juried shows, notably the National Gallery travelling show, Manitoba Mainstream, 1973. Solo exhibitions included: Simon Fraser University 1966 and the Winnipeg Art Gallery 1972. He mounted annual studio shows from 1976 to 2004 and his paintings can be found in collections across Canada. A particularly sensitive colourist, Paul explored many media including casein, oils, water colour and pastel and most recently developed remarkable photographic skills. Though he lived in the city, he made his paintings in the prairie and parkland landscapes that inspired them. At Paul’s request, there will be no service. To remember him you need only look at the luminous surface of any one of his hundreds of paintings and photographs. Donations in memory may be made to the Manitoba Lung Association and Friends of the Winnipeg Public Library. Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204 – 897 – 4665, is in care of arrangements. wojciksfuneralchapel.com.Publish Date: Oct 24, 2013   As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on October 26, 2013