Bryan Wayne Wylie

It is with incredible grief that we say goodbye to our beloved Bryan. He was born in New Liskeard, Ontario to Sylvie (Racette) and Wayne Wylie. He was raised in Longlac, Ontario until the age of 9 when he moved to Thunder Bay to be with his loving foster parents Nancy and John Linke. Entering adulthood, he met Deborah Leschuk and Peter Muzzin who took him under their wing. Bryan had three families throughout his life who loved him dearly.

Bryan is survived by his mother Sylvie Paquette (nee Racette), siblings Marianne, Danny, James, Curtis, Sarah and Kevin. He is also survived by his Grandmaman Rita Belanger and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his stepfather Sylvio Paquette. Bryan is also survived by his foster parents Nancy and John Linke, foster siblings Jamie Grau and family, Justin Linke and family and his nieces. Bryan is survived by his chosen caregiver Deborah Leschuk and his “brother-from-another-mother” Peter Muzzin. He will be remembered by Donna and Frank Grau and Donna and Louie Muzzin and their families, his childhood friend Robert Drainville, his college buddies James Flood and Dan Schoales, his work buddy Nick Rabaa and many other friends and acquaintances. And finally, he will be missed by his furry buddy Luthor.

Bryan attended Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and St. Ignatius High School. After facing many school challenges, it was a proud moment when he graduated from the Police Foundations program at Confederation College in 2010, winning the Most Improved Student Award. Bryan mostly worked in the security industry at various city venues, but had recently begun a job he quite enjoyed at a dental clinic.

Bryan struggled with PTSD and depression, but we are not letting that define the person he was. Our Bryan was stubborn, loving and hard-working. He loved Thai food, anything spicy, Deb’s banana chocolate chip muffins and Skittles. He was good at math and a whiz at Sudoku and jigsaw puzzles. He enjoyed being around people, and could easily engage in conversation with anyone. He had a memory for faces and always seemed to find someone he knew. He was a diehard sports fan, reciting sports statistics and cheering on the Canadiens, Braves, Lakers and Eagles. He was so excited when the Eagles won the Superbowl that you would think he owned the team! He loved all sorts of animals and had many different types of pets (especially cats) during his lifetime. He enjoyed: watching movies, listening to country music, playing Warhammer with friends and any type of outdoors activity like hiking, camping and fishing. This is the Bryan we knew.

We encourage people who are feeling down to call a friend or family member to be with them and to help them through the difficult moments – and always, strongly advocate for those who need help. Bryan struggled with finding peace in this world, but the struggle has now ended. We will miss his infectious laugh, his hugs, his jokes and his smile. While we are sad that he has left our lives, we are grateful that he was part of them, and we will remember him lovingly.
We would like to thank the emergency personnel (especially Constable Steve Browczuk) and Michael Sargent and staff from Sargent & Son Funeral Home for their compassionate professionalism.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in the chapel of Sargent & Son Funeral Home, 21 N. Court Street. With Rev. Hugh Walker officiating. An interment service will be held in the spring at Sunset Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association or the Thunder Bay Humane Society.

Please spend quality time with your friends and loved ones. Bryan would have liked that.