Wayne Harvey Roberts

Wayne Harvey Roberts

October 3, 1951 ~ September 5, 2023

“I said I was a fighter; never said I was a good one.”

-Wayne Roberts

Wayne Roberts was a man whose depth of wisdom and knowledge was only surpassed by the breadth of experiences and adventures he had undertaken in his long life.

Wayne was born in Calgary, Alberta on October 3, 1951, and peacefully passed away at home on September 5, 2023. Wayne was predeceased by his parents Walter Alfred Roberts and Bernice Mary Ann Theresa Roberts (Dietrich), his wife of 47 years Heather Isabelle Roberts (Davison), and his brother Kim Allan Roberts. He is survived by his partner Donna Pearl Friesen, and his daughters: Diana Lange Roberts, Meahgan Alberta Roberts (Andrew Birch), and Lyndsay Theresa Ratson (Jesse), his sister Beverley Ann Duncan (Mark), eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and his Back Alley Boys extended family.

Although raised in a strict Catholic environment, Wayne was never one to back away from challenging the views of others, whether it be on the merits of their intellectual or martial prowess. Wayne’s life was one of facing countless opponents, human and inhuman, and coming out the other end a man with countless stories, each with its own unique lesson on what makes us who we are.

Wayne certainly knew who he was, a man never afraid to assert himself. From fight-winning boxer to award winning-photographer and journalist, Wayne was a man whose life was never dominated by one thing and one thing alone. When not out on a new adventure on his own, or with his brother in crime Kim Roberts, Wayne spent his time loving his wife Heather and their three daughters Diana, Meahgan, and Lyndsay, moving from place to place wherever his next adventure would take him with his (not always eager) family in tow. Eventually, he would come to reside in Strathmore, where he and his wife would work together constructing a beautiful garden, complete with koi fishpond and rock wall-flanked sitting area, he would frequently enjoy basking in when not out cruising in his Pontiac Solstice, “Sweet Baby”.

Later in his life, Wayne lived with his partner Donna Friesen on a picturesque farm near Raymond, Alberta. Wayne called Donna his angel as she lovingly cared for him as his health deteriorated.  Recently Wayne and Donna hosted the 40th anniversary of the Back Alley Boys Punchout Reunion at the farm.  Wayne and his fellow Back Alley Boys became an extended family. Now the sons and daughters of the original Back Alley Boys are continuing with the tradition. All the families of the original Back Alley Boys consider themselves part of the extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins.

When not providing for his family, Wayne used the remainder of his free time primarily towards helping the communities he resided in. Wayne was a Volunteer Firefighter of the Pickardville Fire Department and Innisfail Fire Department, Sergeant-at-Arms and President of the Strathmore Royal Canadian Legion, an active member of the Kinsmen Club, and writer for the Legion Magazine. Wayne was a great teacher and changed many people’s lives with his martial arts instruction!  Wayne worked tirelessly to ensure that whatever community he lived in was better off for him living within it. Wayne’s loss will be felt not just by his family, but by the multitudes of friends and community members who were touched by the many adventures of Wayne’s life in one way or another. May we remember in these times what made him happy and fulfilled, that we might capture even a piece of it ourselves.

A Celebration of life will be held at the Strathmore Royal Canadian Legion on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. Reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to MS Canada, or the Strathmore Royal Canadian Legion in memory of Wayne Roberts.

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