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Ernest William Wigmore
Ernest William Wigmore
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Ernest Wigmore Obituary
Ernie pursued higher education at the University of Saskatchewan, where he received degrees in Medicine, Commerce, and Agriculture. For most of his career he was a physician in Cranbrook, BC. He was a man of faith and a visionary who spent his time involved on various boards.
Ernie had many achievements over his lifetime. He advocated for public funding of medicine and a pension system for medical doctors. He was also instrumental in founding an electronic medical software company. His passions extended beyond his profession, as he was also a progressive farmer with land in Saskatchewan.
In his leisure time, Ernie enjoyed playing golf and watching sports on TV. For twenty-five years he and Gaylene organized Western Layman's Retreat, a faith-based weekend conference held in the Canadian Rockies.
Ernie's and Gaylene's wishes are to have a private celebration of his life surrounded by their children and families. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the BC Cancer Foundation or the Vancouver Prostate Centre.
19 Entries
Bill Miller
January 30, 2025
Gailene and family ----very late but just discovered this today jan29/25 a nd I am shocked --you and Ernie were very cherished
friends for so long--Earnie and I had so many lunchs together and
I used to tell him I would got half an hour before him so we
would then finish eating at the same time !! ---Earnie was a great
great person in every way ---my sincere sympathy
Bill miller Saskatoon Sk 306 - 242 - 5292
Dennis and Connie Glubish
October 11, 2023
Sincere condolences Gaylene. Our prayer is for comfort at this difficult time.
Joan Kennedy
September 28, 2023
We moved to Cranbrook in 1968. Our first encounter with Dr Wigmore was a house visit to check on our baby, Christine. He continued to be our "family doctor" for several years.
Our condolences Gaylene, he will be missed . Jim and Joan Kennedy
Walter VanRietschoten
September 25, 2023
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Walter VanRietschoten
September 25, 2023
Walter VanRietschoten
September 25, 2023
Walter VanRietschoten
September 25, 2023
Walter VanRietschoten
September 25, 2023
Dear Gaylene, Mark, Jeff, Jane, Suzanne, and extended family. The passing of Ernie has left me saddened, reflective and ultimately thankful and even joyful.
Saddened, as the opportunities to visit over early morning breakfast at a Cranbrook restaurant or lunch in Victoria are no more. Deep discussions catching up on family, faith and culture will be sadly missed.
Reflective, in remembering the journey Ernie, Gaylene and our families shared from 1993 to the present. Gaylene and Ernie graciously welcomed our younger family of six into their home, medical clinic, and Christian faith community. I credit them and thank God for bringing me "out of the faith wilderness" to a Moyie Lake baptism in 1999.
During the many years working with Ernie at the medical clinic, I learned a great deal about clinic and staff management, caring for patients, medical economics, and innovation. Ernie had great skills in gathering amazing talented individuals into the service of our visions and goals. There are many reflections of road trips, meetings and challenges confronted in establishing a medical office software company and a tissue oxygenation imaging device company. Numerous are the shared happy reflections of office Christmas parties and Western Layman´s retreats at Lake Louise, family weddings and visits for meals at Gaylene and Ernie´s home.
Reflecting on these shared experiences with Ernie, Gaylene and our families has left me with a kaleidoscope of emotions at the passing of Ernie, but on balance, an overwhelming gratitude and joy for having met Ernie in this life. For me, he has been a mentor and an example of a life well lived.
Joanne and Ken Wiens
September 24, 2023
We want to send you our love and condolences. We met Ernie and Gaylene in the late 70´s. During these early years, we were fortunate to have the Wigmore family in our Care and Share Group. Ernie and Gaylene shared their faith openly and so were instrumental in bringing their contacts to our Care and Share Group. We were inspired by their boldness and willingness to share openly their faith. As a result, Ken and I were able to be part of Ernie and Gaylene´s ministry of sharing hope and love to people new to faith. We enjoyed Christmas parties at the Wigmore home. Their home was always welcoming.
Ernie delivered out second son Curtis. He genuinely cared for our family and was supportive to us as new parents.
As time as gone on, we have spent many years not seeing or hearing about the Wigmores. They both will be remembered by us for their boldness in sharing their faith, their vision for bringing the good news to others, their zeal for taking on big endeavours and making them a success as well as their willingness to be a friend to others irregardless of their social status. We have been most fortunate in having you as a part of our lives. Ernie will not be forgotten.
With sincere sympathy, Ken and Joanne Wiens
Pat Gustafson Bentlage
September 21, 2023
Gaylene and family, my condolences on your loss of Ernie. When I was a new Christian at Cranbrook Alliance, Ernie wrote me an encouragement card that said "May I encourage you to continue to give of yourself to the Lord and work in His vineyard. He is worthy." Those words came at just the right time and many times over the years I have thought of the words "He is worthy." I am thankful for that encouragement.
Craig and Susan Lodge
September 20, 2023
Dear Gaylene and family, it is with sadness we have followed Ernie´s final battle and inevitable passing. He was a man of vision and generosity and we have soecial memories of Christian Layman´s retreat which was made possible by his vision and leadership and of the Cranbrook Franklin Graham Crusade which again came about with Ernie at the helm. Our hearts are with you as you as you move through this time is saddest and loss. May you sense the abiding peace of God.and trust in the hope made manifest through Jesus Christ our Lord. With love and prayers, Craig and Susan Lodge
Sharon Mineer
September 20, 2023
Gaylene, my deepest condolences to you and your family.
Sharon Summach Mineer
Bruce&Janine Glover(Summach)
September 20, 2023
Sorry to see the passing of Ernie. May God give you the comfort and love as you go thru this time of loss, Ernie has fought the good fight.It is well with my soul.
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Mike Fanning
September 19, 2023
Ernie, one of the most interesting, multi faceted people I knew. Most of us have a list in our heads of the people we truly admire, respect and appreciate. Ernie was in my top 5. Where do I start? From my perspective he was a Medical Doctor, a business man, a man of God, a quiet, behind the scenes, philanthropist, a family man, a man who could interact with people at all levels of society, a man who never forgot his humble roots.
I met him shortly after moving to Cranbrook in 1979. There are so many stories I could tell, I will try to limit them.
He was a caring family doctor to our family. Hospital ER and my early teen son and I were there getting his broken arm tended to. Another doctor had just seen us, and then Dr Wigmore showed up, talked to us, told us that he was supposed to be just heading home, but he would tend to our son first. He took care of the arm and went home to a late dinner (sorry Gaylene).
He did a lot of the behind the scenes Charity work that nobody knew about. One of my best friends - a single mom with 3 kids, was able to start on her path to home ownership because of Ernie (& Gaylene´s) generosity - I only knew because years later this woman shared that with me.
A family in our church had limited resources. I was thinking of giving them some help, but the wife was driving a newer van and I was having a trouble reconciling that. I knew that Ernie was interacting with the family. When I put my conundrum to him, he, in his classic way, said nothing while he thought and then finally shared with me that he had financed the van for them. Now, these are just 2 stories that I know about, I know that there are many, many, many more that I don´t know about.
I knew the family as they were growing up. Gaylene, Mark, Jeff, Jane, Suzanne loved and respected him, while at the same time would give him the gears about his foibles. Outside the home he was a doctor, businessman, leader, a man who could command respect just by being in a room and yet at home he was, like most us, a husband and a great dad.
He and a man named Jerry Jones were the leads in starting up and running Western Layman´s retreat, starting at Fairmont Springs and then moving to Chateau Lake Louise. Over the years thousands of people attended to get away, listen to first rate Christian speakers and some fabulous music. The logistics of putting on that event were huge. The organizing to a large part fell on Ernie´s shoulders, yet he was rarely flustered. I had a very very very small part in it for a number of years and even behind the scenes there were very few `panic´ situations that came up because of the myriad of details that had already been dealt with.
Farmer Ernie. Well, you can take the farmer out of the farm but you can´t take the farm out of the farmer. Ernie could not get the call of the flatlands out of his system. So, while living in Cranbrook, he buys a farm outside Regina and starts farming (with one of his Brothers). The planting, the harvesting - now, that is what one does on their holidays. Alas, in true Ernie fashion he starts small´ish´ and, well, he just kept growing, and growing and, well, growing. The last time I talked to him about his farming he was farming 55,000 acres - not all his own, but it was under his care. Remember, he is still doctoring. And, while he did not talk about it, he also had some other side businesses that I only picked up snippets of over the years.
I have lots of other things to say but I will end with this. I had not seen him for a number of years and we crossed paths in Cranbrook. He invited me to meet him for breakfast. There, among other things, he told me that he had sold his medical billing company and that his pockets were full. Where did we eat this breakfast? MacDonalds. Did I mention that he reached into his pocket and pulled out the coupons when he paid? That only increased my already high admiration and respect. Here was a man who was hugely successful in his life and yet his humble beginnings and the values he learned as a young man were still there with him. Thank you Ernie for being a part of my life, for setting an awesome example for me, for ministering to so many people including my family, for being you. You will be missed by many.
Mike Fanning Cranbrook, BC
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