Troy Leyton Harris

Troy’s brief but impactful life came to a heartbreaking end on Thursday, April 24, 2025, when he lost his short but hard-fought battle to Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia having been diagnosed only three days earlier.

        Although July 19, 1999 was an uneventful day in history, it was life changing for his parents Marvin & Val and older brothers Zack and Luke when he, along with his twin Colton came into their world. Though Troy may have been born the smallest, by the age of 12 it was easy to see that he would be the largest.

        Troy’s first year of life was spent living in God’s Lake Narrow’s, a remote fly-in island in northeastern Manitoba.

        Troy knew no other home than Birtle after the family returned in 2000. Whether swimming, playing hockey, baseball, soccer and then in later years snowboarding and football these sports were enjoyed with the same friends

To some it may have appeared that Troy could have been a stronger or more skilled player – it didn’t matter to him, he was there because his friends were.

        Troy’s formative years were spent enjoying the comradery of classmates and making lifelong friends. His academic skills were easily recognized, and he made school look easy. But school was more than academics, it was about   helping his classmates achieve the same.

        At the age of 13, Troy and Colton took over the lawn mowing business from their brothers. Then at 16 he started a part-time job at the Co-op Gas Bar. Regardless of what he was doing, Troy always had the time to stop, say a  polite hello and give his customers the respect he felt they deserved.

        After a couple of years at University, Troy began working for Russell Redi Mix – later known as GIP. After being a laborer for a year, Troy moved onto the   Survey Crew. This work offered him things he enjoyed: working outdoors, using math skills, and working with others. With a bit of prodding from fellow GIP co-workers, Troy decided to go back to school to acquire his Civil Engineer Tech at ACC in Brandon. Troy was completing year 2 of 3 at the time of his passing.

        As he got older, some of Troy’s interests may have changed, but gaming remained constant. His countless hours earned him many high score standings, but it also built a bond that he shared with his brothers and close friends.

        25 years to the day, Troy joined his Grandpa Pete, as well as his Grandpa George (2022) –  he is perhaps sharing with them some of those random bits of knowledge, as it was apparent that Troy loved to visit.

        To say that this gentle giant with the kindest of souls will be missed is an understatement. His polite and respectful demeanor will be missed by colleagues and others. His random snaps with inappropriate but hilarious snippets will be missed by many. His “Well hello there” when jumping into a game will be missed by an extremely tight group of friends. He will be especially missed by his parents Marvin & Val; brothers Colton (Emily), Zack (Jess), and Luke (Danielle); Grandma Vi; Grandma Marg; Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.

‘til we join you; we will keep you close in our hearts’.

Graveside Service will be held on Saturday May 10, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Birtle Cemetery

Celebration of life will be held at the Birtle Community Arena at 3:00 p.m.