CAMILO HERNAN DROGUETT GALAZ

With heavy hearts, we announce that Camilo passed away on July 26, 2021 in Riverview Hospital at the age of 80 years. Camilo was diagnosed with liver cancer in July of 2017.  He underwent two procedures that helped to extend his life by more than two years!  He made good use of that time, heading home to his beloved Chile in December of 2019.  As luck would have it, due to COVID-19 hitting, he had to stay at his summer home in El Yeco until May of 2021 – right through the winter of 2020 and just into the 2021 Chilean winter!

He is survived by Cristina, his spouse of 59 years; children Cristina (Randy), Pilar (Donna), Susana (Dean), and Camilo; grandchildren Julia, Alexandra, Jordan, Nolan, Connor, Erik, Brynne, Camilo, and Oriana; great grandchildren Arlo, River, and Kaden; and siblings Cruci (Ana), Carmen, Jaime, Patricia, Cecilia, and Monica.  Camilo’s brother Marcos predeceased him in 2020.

Growing up in the San Miguel neighbourhood of Santiago, Chile, Camilo learned the gas fitter trade achieving his piped gas-fitter license and working for GasCo Chile to help bring gas lines into many Santiago buildings.  In his youth Camilo enjoyed playing drums in the marching band at Los Talleres de San Vicente high school and at Escuela Industrial Talleres San Vicente de Paul he enjoyed playing basketball.  And of course there was always time for dancing and socializing!

Camilo loved working with his hands and was very adept at wood carving.  Wooden figurines and relief carvings are still found throughout his house, his workshop, and in his woodshed.  He also liked to sketch.  Something that goes hand in hand with his carving and some of his sketches that he started for carvings are art unto themselves!  Downtime was always a good time for reading.  Whether at the lake or at his homes in Winnipeg or El Yeco books and reading glasses were always close at hand.

Camilo was an avid futbol (soccer) fan and engaged in boisterous “discussions” around everything futbol – from his favourite team (La Catolica) to the unfair refereeing (of course) to who would win the league.  An interesting story is that in 2006 Camilo won a trip to Germany to watch some World Cup of Soccer games!

In 1974 Camilo and his young family emigrated to Winnipeg in search of a more peaceful and prosperous life.  In Winnipeg Camilo worked as a welder, a plumber, and on the assembly line in a tractor factory.  His love of soccer, wine, and food emigrated with him.

Camilo and his friends started the Colo Colo soccer team, named in honour of the Colo Colo soccer club in Santiago, around 1976 and the team continues to this day.  Well known for his love of wine, Camilo built a wine cellar in his house so that he could ferment his own wine.  And when it came to food, Camilo made empanadas (cheese and meat) and sopaipillas that family and friends waited for with mouths watering.

Always the handyman, Camilo was constantly puttering around his house and built a cabin in Ponemah, MB, a house in El Yeco, Chile, and helped many friends and family make improvements to their homes.  In El Yeco he loved to host family and friends and built extra rooms in his house to host family and friends when they visited – daughters and their families from Canada, his sister from Australia, his large Chilean family, and really anyone who dropped in for a visit.

Camilo will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Thanks to Jake, Colette, and Sheila – his neighbours in Winnipeg; Rodolfo, Jorge Jr, Jorge Sr and his wife Mireya, and Gladys – his neighbours in El Yeco.  And thanks to the staff at Riverview Hospital for making him as comfortable as possible.

Camilo’s family kindly requests that his friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour his memory by posting pictures, memories, and stories for sharing below.

In Accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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