Audrey Lynn Friesen
Obituary
Audrey Lynn (Ginter) Friesen, passed away peacefully, at the age of 52, on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Riverview Health Centre, Winnipeg, MB. Her brother was at her side and her husband was just entering the room as she breathed her last and passed into the arms of her Saviour. Her family soon gathered around her bed to grieve and pray together. This was the end of a difficult journey with brain cancer (glioblastoma), which she travelled with much grace and quiet strength.
Audrey is survived by her husband Kurt, their sons Cameron and Spencer, her parents Bill and Joyce Ginter, her brother Steven (Heather) Ginter and their children, Hudson, Asher, Griffin, and Bennett, as well as Kurt’s family Alma (Reimer) Friesen, Terry (Caroline) Friesen, Leon (Trinette) Friesen, and Marcia (Mario) Fonseca, and their families. She will also be deeply missed by many dear friends and work colleagues.
Audrey was predeceased by her brother Michael (McGillivary) Ginter, her nephew Cayden Carfrae, and Kurt’s father Andrew Friesen.
Audrey was born on January 31, 1974 in Altona, MB and grew up in Morris, MB, where she enjoyed activities such as swimming, figure skating, and violin. But mostly she loved to play with the other kids on her street. She made many great friends through her school years, and excelled in academics and sports. In her mid teens, Audrey was baptized at the Morris Mennonite Church where her family attended, and where she was an active member of the youth group. After high school, she attended the University of Manitoba where she earned an Arts Degree with a major in criminology and a minor in native studies, as well as a social work degree.
In September 1992, having just moved to Winnipeg to attend university, Audrey went with a couple of friends to a college and career event at the Fort Garry EMC Church. There she met her future husband, Kurt Friesen. They were married on August 10, 1996 and have continued to attend Fort Garry EMC ever since.
When infertility prevented Audrey from conceiving the child they hoped for, Kurt and Audrey decided to adopt, and their son Cameron joined their family in 2003. More than five years later, Spencer arrived via a surprise miracle pregnancy that the doctors had said could not happen. She loved her family dearly, and as a family, the four of them made many wonderful memories of trips and shared holiday traditions together, and they gained strength from navigating the difficult seasons of life together. She was also very close to her parents and she loved her brothers and their families so much, doting on her little nephews whenever they were together. She took the death of her brother Michael, and his son Cayden in 2023 and 2024 very hard.
Church was a place where her faith was nurtured, support and friendships were found and difficult, honest questions could be asked without receiving quick answers or judgement. Like many of us, Audrey had a complicated relationship with her faith at times, but as the years went by, God’s love became more and more clear to her even when certainty on other things was still sometimes hard to come by.
Audrey’s love and care for others, particularly those going through difficult times, was central to her choice of a career in social work. Early in her career, she worked in a few different offices with Winnipeg Child and Family Services and Manitoba Society for Disabilities (now Manitoba Possible) before ultimately winding up as a school social worker with Pembina Trails School Division, where she worked for 19 years before illness brought her career to a premature end. Audrey’s work colleagues remember her as a quiet but highly capable advocate for the wellbeing of her clients. She made several close friends during her time with Pembina Trails School Division who continued to connect with and support Audrey throughout her illness.
Audrey’s heart for those in need caused her to feel deep pain for those living in homelessness. Charitable support for Siloam Mission, who support that part of our community well, was always a priority for her.
In addition to her work, Audrey demonstrated her care and competence through volunteer roles at Fort Garry EMC Church with the Sunday School Committee and Refugee Committee, as well as on the board of the Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary School (now Winnipeg Mennonite School). She spent time as chair on all three of those committees.
One of Audrey’s biggest passions was reading. She read voraciously, enjoying novels, memoirs, and non-fiction books on faith and other topics. The common thread in books that interested her was an honest perspective on life with all of its ugliness and complexity coexisting with great beauty, with love ultimately coming out on top.
When diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023, Audrey faced it as she had everything else in life up until then – head on, with no sugarcoating of the terrible prognosis. She and Kurt decided they would be open about this difficult journey, sharing updates online at the CaringBridge site for those who wanted to follow along and support them. But in spite of her difficult circumstances, she did not focus on herself, but continued her loving care towards her friends and family. Remarkably, in spite of living with mental health challenges ever since those early years of infertility, Audrey displayed more inner peace and trust in her Creator in these final difficult years than she’d seemed able to find when her body was healthier.
Audrey’s departure will leave a hole in the hearts of her family and friends for years to come, but her life has made such an impact on so many, which will also last. We believe that her earthly life is not the end of her story, and we look forward to seeing her again.
The memorial service for Audrey will take place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., at Fort Garry EMC Church, 602 Pasadena Ave, Winnipeg, MB, with a light meal to follow.
A private family interment will take place prior to the service.
“… But the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13
