JEFFREY DODGSON
JEFFREY T. DODGSON July 2, 1969 – December 11, 2015 Jeff grew up in the small town of Dunnville, Ontario with his two loving parents, Tom and Gail, and sister, Sara (Adam and daughter, Olivia). He was fortunate to be surrounded by a close-knit family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends. Summer days were spent playing in the family pool, playing lacrosse and baseball and baling hay. Winters were spent on the ice, playing hockey for the Dunnville Terriers. Among many championship wins and MVP awards, Jeff’s favourite sports memory growing up was winning the Peewee “C” National Lacrosse Championship. Jeff excelled at school and graduated high school as the Class Valedictorian in 1988. Seeking a life outside small town Dunnville, Jeff first ventured to the University of Western Ontario where he obtained his Bachelors of Art with a combined Honours Degree in History and English in 1992. Next, he set his sights on becoming a lawyer and he attended the University of Manitoba where he spent three years studying law and playing seasons of NHL’95 with his roommates. Best of all, he met the love of his life and future wife, Andrea, at law school. Jeff and Andrea married in 1998 and settled in Winnipeg to start their law careers. After several years of private practice, Jeff joined the Department of Justice (Canada) in the civil litigation department where his sense of humour and conscientious work ethic earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and clients. When it came time to start a family, Jeff and Andrea first welcomed Katie. Katie has Jeff’s sense of humour and love of books, movies and music. Two years later, Tyler joined the family and in Tyler one can see Jeff’s athleticism, gentle nature and stoic mannerisms. Both children were the light of Jeff’s life and he could not have been more proud of them. Jeff thoroughly enjoyed coaching Katie and Tyler on numerous soccer, hockey and ringette teams. He was always the fair and calm voice in the crowd and connected well with players and parents alike. Many young athletes were fortunate to have been mentored and coached by Jeff over the years. His volunteer roles also extended to four years as hockey convenor for the Winakwa Community Centre, Board Member of the Winakwa Community Centre and Board Member of the St. Boniface Minor Hockey Association. Aside from being an avid sports fan and trivia buff, Jeff loved to travel. Journeys with his wife and family took him to the Caribbean, Iceland, Europe and Russia. He had his sights on many more vacations with his family but it was not meant to be. After battling cancer for over a year, Jeff is finally at peace and able to rest. His strength and courage throughout his ordeal was unrelenting. Rarely one to complain, he suffered through so much but did so with his usual grace, dignity and selflessness. One would think that Jeff’s greatest regret is never seeing the Leafs win the Cup in his lifetime, but his greatest regrets are, without a doubt, not having the opportunity to grow old and travel with Andrea and not watching Katie and Tyler grow and raise families of their own. Jeff will be missed by many but his memory will always live on in those close to him. The Dodgson family would like to thank all those involved in Jeff’s health care at Cancer Care Manitoba, St. Boniface 7A West, John Buhler Cancer Centre (Victoria Hospital), Riverview Health Centre and the home care and palliative care nurses.
Friends are welcome to join the family in honouring Jeff’s life with visitation at JW Hart Funeral Home, 113 Lock St East Dunnville (905)774-6335 Tuesday December 29, 2015 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice or Cancer Care Manitoba. Online condolences www.jwhartfuneralhome.com