Obituaries

ROBBY JENNER

JUNE 5, 1963 – JUNE 6, 2024

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden and tragic passing of Rob Jenner: husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and son.

He is survived by his wife Wendy (Singbeil) Van Loon, sons Jared (Danielle) and Travis (Amberly), and their mother Jeannine. His stepchildren Jessica (Victor), Amanda (AJ) and Kurtis (Meagan). His grandchildren: Peyton, Jayden, Taylor, Ella, Flora, Melody, Emery and Macklin. He is also survived by his mother, Gladys, his brother Jim, and nephew Jesse. He is predeceased by his father, Peter.

Our Rob, known as “Zammer”, was an honest, funny and kind person who will be missed by so many loved ones.

In the summertime Rob looked forward to his weekends where he could play darts, listen to his favorite music, and drink vodkas in the garage with Wendy. In the winter his weekends consisted of playing 2K golf on his Playstation, watching movies… and drinking vodkas with Wendy.

Travel was his passion. Rob and Wendy looked forward to their annual trip to Mexico where they visited so many incredible places and ate some amazing local food. Rob was already planning their 2025 holiday.

He had such a creative mind and loved crafting stunning mosaics and tiled art projects. His home showcased his artistic talents. He was also a very skilled handyman in that he was always eager to attempt new home projects. Whether it be helping his “Ma” around her house, tiling his son-in law’s kitchen, helping his sons with their bathroom and fireplace tiling, and building a Hair Salon for his daughter-in-law. He was talented and loved these projects as it gave him an opportunity to just be with the families and hang out. Rob always went out of his way to help family members with house repairs and renovations.

Rob’s creativity continued to shine through the novels that he wrote for his wife. He took pride in these novels set in the 40’s mob era, that starred his wife as the protagonist.

Rob was an incredibly talented chef. He was known for his prime rib roast at Christmas time and making special requests for his children on their birthdays. His stepdaughter always boasted about the delicious soups he would make her while she was pregnant. Everyone loved to be invited to his dinners, as a great meal was to be had.

He had a passion for cycling, sometimes riding for hours. His son’s fondest memories of his dad are of long bike rides they enjoyed together. Rob hated riding the bus in the winter and would impatiently wait for spring to arrive so he could ride his bike to work. He always decked himself out in a fluorescent yellow shirt, flashing lights on his bike and helmet, and followed all the proper safety measures while on the road. He was extremely afraid of distracted and unsafe drivers, so he always left early for work to avoid as much traffic as possible. Rob loved biking Sunday evenings when the roads were quiet, where he could bike in peace.

Rob had eight grandchildren and was looking forward to meeting his ninth grandchild this December. He was thrilled to welcome his first grandson a month ago. He was not your “traditional” Pops, he expressed his love in non-traditional ways by making food and doing small things that one just takes for granted. Rob had funny nicknames for his grandchildren, like “Hey you rotten kids!”.  He even put these nicknames on the grandkid’s birthday and Christmas cards. The family always thought it was odd, but that was just him! It just made everyone laugh.

Rob had previously worked many years at Canadian Pacific Railway, Progress Rail and Winpak. He spent the last decade as an employee for the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. His co-workers became an extension of his family and meant a lot to him.

A special hug and thank you to Ainsley who provided CPR and support to Rob during his final moments until first responders arrived. We are so grateful that Rob was not alone when he passed and was with such an incredible person. To Sargeant Carvahlo and his incredible professional team at the Winnipeg Police Services Traffic Division, the family knows the professionalism and compassion your team showed during this tragedy. To the biking community, thank you for the memorial and rally, it has helped Rob’s loved ones know that Rob’s passing can hopefully create change to makes roads safer for cyclists in the City of Winnipeg.

Thank you, Rob for giving me, Wendy love that truly was unique. We were considered the most two oddest people to connect and it just worked. You got me, and I got you. You were my everything and I know you felt the same.

Cremation has taken place, and no formal service will be held.

Rob was loved cycling and was devoted to cycling safety. The family gratefully encourages donations to Bike Winnipeg, to support advocacy for safe cycling infrastructure.