A prominent Wawa figure has died: Russell Reid.
An obituary posted online says the 64-year-old "passed away suddenly" on Monday, "after a brief battle with cancer".
Known for 30 years as the "face" of the Regional Employment Help Centre - where he's remembered as "an amazing mentor, boss, friend, and leader - Reid was heavily involved in the Wawa community for decades, as a member of the Rotary Club since 1999 - as well as a member of various other boards and organizations - and served as trustee for North Algoma and Chapleau with the Algoma District School Board since 1994, including two years as chair and five years as vice chair, plus involvement in principal and vice-principal selections, director and superintendent selections, the Special Education Advisory Committee, and Operations and Budget Committee - he'd also been actively involved in the Ontario Public School Board Association, including as Regional Director, receiving in 2020 the OPSBA President's Award in recognition of 25 years of service to public education in Ontario.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre next Tuesday, July 4th, from 3 pm to 5 pm - memorial donations can be made to the Rotary Club of Wawa.