It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son, nephew and cousin, Marshall, on July 26, in Hong Kong, following a short illness.

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Marshall was born in Winnipeg, and grew up in St. Clements. He graduated from the “Comp” in Selkirk, and had maintained contact with many friends from that time as well as from his elementary school, Ecole Bonaventure.

 

Marshall was very proficient in computer technology, and following High School, completed the Cisco Certified Network Associate course at Red River College. However, he always had a longing to travel, and in 2005 he flew to Tangshan, China and joined a friend to teach English as a second language, to primary grade children. He returned to Winnipeg in 2010 with his then wife Lei (with whom he has maintained a good relationship), and remained for 5 years, now the owner of his grandmother’s home in Winnipeg. He worked at both Broadband Communications North, and Acme Technical services during this time. In 2015, he returned to China, now to Fuzhou, where he again taught English until 2018, this time to university students.

 

Following that, Marshall returned ‘home’ for a short while, then in June of 2019 he traveled back to Fuzhou and was hoping to again teach English. In January of this year, it was necessary for him to go to Hong Kong to renew his Chinese visa. That was at the start of the current COVID - 19 pandemic and unfortunately soon after his arrival in Hong Kong, the borders were closed and he could not return to his apartment on the mainland. He became ill in late February, and though the borders were then open, he was not well enough to travel. However, in early July, feeling better, he was making plans to return to Canada. Sadly, his medical condition had progressed, and he passed away due to heart failure.

 

Marshall travelled back and forth throughout Canada, China, and Hong Kong, as well as to Japan, a country he greatly enjoyed. His work in Manitoba also took him to all parts of the province. As a youth, trips across Canada, the US, and Europe helped to fuel his travel desires.

 

He was an avid amateur ‘chef’; Japanese cuisine being a favourite. He had a great interest in food and nutrition, and enjoyed preparing all sorts of meals. We looked forward to any of his offerings. He also became captivated with fitness, and was a regular at a gym where ever he lived. Photography and music were only a couple of his passions. Though not to everyone else’s taste, his heavy metal CD collection would be envied by any fellow fans. As a teenager he became a ‘big brother’ to our beloved Labrador retriever, Shadow, and thus further developed his lifelong love of animals; primarily dogs.

 

As we all are, Marshall was different things to different people. He was definitely his own person, and was always true to himself. He was very caring and loyal to both his family and friends. He was very intuitive and had a big heart and more compassion, empathy, and understanding than he may have outwardly shown to many. His subtle sense of humour may have often been missed by many.

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Left to cherish his memory, are his parents, Linda and Roger Homenick of St. Clements and many aunts, uncles, cousins, & friends in Canada, China, and Hong Kong. He was predeceased by his beloved grandparents Regina and Elias Dagdick, and Emma Wharf.

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We thank all our family and Marshall’s school and work friends (in Canada, China & Hong Kong) who have remained in contact. Your messages following his passing have been so kind and supportive. A special thank you to Robert Plummer a friend from Fuzhou who was also in Hong Kong at the time of Marshall’s death. Not being able to travel to Hong Kong at this time, Robert was invaluable, acting on our behalf, to do all that needed to be done. A special mention also to Patrick Sincennes of Global Affairs Canada for his immediate contact and all he has done to help navigate this journey, and assist us in bringing Marshall home.

 

In lieu of flowers, if wishing to make a donation, please consider the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Winnipeg Humane Society, any pet rescue center, or a charity of your choice.

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A celebration of Marshall’s life will be held for family and friends on September 12, 2020. The family apologizes but due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance must be limited. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Linda Homenick at lmhome@mymts.net for more information. In the meantime, Marshall's family kindly requests that all  of his friends and relatives consider sharing their own memories and stories using the comment section on this page.

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Marshall we love you and we miss you.

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