Forrest Rain Shapwaykeesic

It is with immense sadness we announce the sudden passing of Forrest Rain Shapwaykeesic on January 26th, 2022 at the age of 39 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Born October 20th, 1982 in Thunder Bay, a member of Eabametoong FN, Forrest attended many schools growing up including St. Peters, St. Jude, St. Elizabeth, Sacred Heart, Fort William Collegiate Institute and Cook County Highschool in Grand Marais, MN. He returned to his studies and graduated from LAEP with his OSSD in 2009. He was awarded the Personal Achievement Award by the AYARA Committee in 2010 for his accomplishment. His journey to get his diploma was published in SEVEN Youth Magazine and in the national textbook; “Strength and struggle: perspectives from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada”, in 2011. In 2019 he attended the PSW program at Oshki-Wenjack, a field of work suited to his kind and generous spirit.

He worked at the Petro-Canada station in Dryden, Grand Portage and Fond-Du-Luth Casino’s in Minnesota, and Safeway and Safeguard Business Systems in Thunder Bay.

Forrest enjoyed listening to music, singing Karaoke, playing games, cards and dice, fixing electronics and photoshop’ing digital graphics. He was always helping others with cleaning, organizing, and cooking. He had many friends and could talk to anybody. Forrest had a great sense of humour and a quick infectious laugh.

Forrest will be greatly missed by his mother Maryann Lago, sisters Roxann and Esther (Ben), his aunties Agnes, Joanne, uncles Webb, Morris and Ronnie, cousins Alvin, Eric, Joshua, Destiny, Dalton, his nieces Shayna and Sable, and nephews Cory-Tyler and Levi, friend Herman Hanschke, Camille Moore and family, and many friends he made over the years.

Forrest was predeceased by his daughter Sophia Diamond Keetsoo Shapwaykeesic, former partner Geri Fox, big sister Olivia Shapwaykeesic, as well as his grandparents and great grandparents.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 8th, 2022 at 11:00 am in the Blake Funeral Chapel, celebrated by Rev. Joseph Arockiam. Interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time.

Special thanks to Morris Shapwaykeesic, the Rubenick family, Father Joseph, funeral director Greg Sargent, the staff at Sunset Memorial Gardens, and all the support and love from all who knew him.


A Live Stream of the Funeral Service can be found at the Blake Funeral Chapel Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/BlakeFuneralChapel