Support for the family of Wayne Deane

On March 12th 2023, after having coffee with a longtime friend and student, and just after calling his wife Pam and walking to his truck, Wayne Dean suffered a heart attack. He collapsed in the Whistler Blackcomb parking lot and passed away. His passing has left a void that cannot be measured or expressed in words.

Wayne Deane was born on January 21st 1964 in Penrith, NSW, Australia. He was raised by his Mom and grew up with two brothers and one sister. Along with his amazing wife Pam, he raised three highly talented, accomplished and caring young ladies: Cassidy, Chantal and JJ. Pam (with a smile) often referred to Wayne as ‘Grouchy’ (also known as his happy state) which was a persona he liked to portray to hide his huge heart filled with love, kindness and generosity. Wayne loved his family more than anything else in the world. His secondary passions included skiing, surfing and mountain biking. He would probably liked to have added golfing to this list - unfortunately he was really bad at this hobby. He was an accomplished surfer in Australia, competing on the semi-pro circuit and even did a European tour. In Canada, he achieved his CSIA Level IV (the highest level of instructor certification) and worked for Whistler Blackcomb Snow School for over 28 years. His passion for teaching and the joy he gained from sharing his enthusiasm for skiing was clear to anyone who had the privilege of being in his class.

Wayne underwent a double hip surgery in January 2023. He was quite worried about the outcome, but just a few weeks after surgery, things were looking very promising. Wayne’s recovery seemed to be going very well, he was truly happy and excited and he could not wait to return to his sport, friends and students.

Please, if you can, help support Wayne’s family with a kind donation to get them through this very difficult time. Your generosity is very much appreciated.