Obituaries

RHONDA JANE HORNBY

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rhonda on March 13, 2023.

Rhonda is predeceased by her parents Frank and Shan Hornby and her older brother James. She will be sadly missed by her brother Phillip, sister Tracey and her many nieces and nephews.

Rhonda lived a remarkable life. She was born on May 13, 1963, and immediately stole the hearts of many.

Determined to give her a full life, her parents sought the help and guidance of St. Amant where she flourished alongside her friends and roommates. There, Rhonda was educated to be an independent woman who managed many of her own affairs. She also participated in the public school system, where she graduated with a diploma from Glenlawn Collegiate’s special education program.

It was while she was at St. Amant that she discovered her passion for sport and met lifelong mentor, Mr. Dan Johnson.

She turned out to be a natural athlete and when coupled with her determination, she was unstoppable. Rhonda went on to become a decorated Olympian in both the summer and winter Special Olympics and spent decades competing across the continent.

In 1978, she won the 60m, 100m, and long jump and qualified to go to the Canadian Special Olympic Summer Games in Regina. There, she earned a position on Canada’s national team that went to Brockport, New York in 1979 to participate in the International Special Olympics.

Throughout the 80s, she participated in various sports with Manitoba Special Olympics and other sports clubs.  Again, she earned a spot on the 1988 provincial team to represent Manitoba at the National Winter Games in Edmundston, New Brunswick in alpine skiing. Her performance earned her a spot on the national team to go to Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nevada for the International Winter Special Olympics.

Rhonda’s laser focus and commitment to training led her to represent Manitoba again at the 1994 National Special Olympic Games, in Halifax, Nova Scotia but this time in swimming. She would repeat this in 1998 at the National Special Olympic Games, in Sudbury, Ontario. Rhonda continued to swim and train well into her 50s.

When not participating in sports, Rhonda worked at Safeway and then Norshel Inc. for over 25 years, where she worked with and met so many wonderful people.

Rhonda was a dedicated Catholic. She was one of 100 people selected in 1984 to receive communion from Pope John Paul II during his visit to Winnipeg. She was joined by Sister Rita Desrosiers from St. Amant to guide her, and, again with her unrelenting laser focus and commitment, she received communion in front of thousands of people that day in Birds Hill. It was a most precious moment for her.

Rhonda had an affinity for superheroes. However, which superhero was best was often the centre of great debate at home with her siblings. Rhonda always argued Superman was the best and the likes of Batman and Spiderman just didn’t cut it. It was only recently that Thor had the privilege of making it into her heart. However, anyone who knew Rhonda (or just happened to catch a glimpse at her bedroom walls) knew that she had one true real hero — WWE wrestler, Mr. Bill Goldberg. In 2013, her dream came true, she met Mr. Goldberg at the Canadian Comic Con who graciously spent 20 minutes with her, forever filling her life with joy and happiness.

A service will be held for Rhonda at the St. Amant Chapel on March 31, 2023, at 1:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. Amant Foundation or Special Olympics Manitoba.

Rhonda was a remarkable woman who led a remarkable life.