In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 25th, 2023, Lorne Plett Kornelsen passed away in the Morris Hospital with his loving wife, Doris, by his side.  He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.  Lorne is survived by his wife of 58 years, Doris, three daughters; Audra (Walter Hildebrand), Juanita (Don Dueck), Cassandra (Joel Gingerich), eight grandchildren and their spouses as well as one remaining brother, John Kornelsen (Leona) and sister, Elda (Werner Rempel). He is predeceased by his parents and eight siblings (one of which died in infancy).

Lorne Kornelsen was born in Morris, MB as the youngest child of John and Anna Kornelsen on August 5, 1942. He grew up in a Christian home and was taught to put Christ first in all that he did.  He gave his heart to the Lord at an early age, was baptized and renewed that commitment many times throughout his life.  

Since Lorne was the youngest sibling, he ended up inventing sports games that he’d play by himself to pass the time.  He would play baseball by himself by throwing up the ball as one player, and catching as another made up player, all while being the announcer to his own game.  He also loved playing crokinole with his Mom.  Music was a part of his family upbringing.  Lorne learned a lot of his early music skills by playing his Mom’s autoharp.  His Dad was a generous man, often giving Lorne some money to enjoy a night out with friends.  

After graduating from the Greenbank High School in Rosenort, he went on to earn a certificate from Teachers College.  He taught his first two years near Steinbach, MB.  He was hired next at the Pleasant Valley School as a teacher. During this time, the love story of Lorne and Doris began.  They dated for 2 years before getting married on July 9th, 1965. After Pleasant Valley he taught at the Rosenhoff North School in Riverside, MB.  They lived in the house next door which was where they raised their 3 daughters as well as retired.   During his early married years Lorne continued his education and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1974, followed by his Bachelor of Education in 1979, both from the University of Manitoba.  He was a teacher for 45 years, most of which were at the Rosenort School.

Lorne loved teaching!  He felt challenged by it and pursued excellence in doing it.  He taught mostly junior high students and found creative ways to keep them engaged through humor, thought provoking questions, games, discussing sport statistics and even tic tacs. Lorne’s love for academics and athletics in school impacted many colleagues and students.  He was a person of integrity, passion and certainly a pillar of strength and experience at Rosenort School.

Music was a big part of Lorne’s life!  He began performing in the church quartet at the age of 16. He achieved his performance degree in voice through The Western Board of Music in 1980. Lorne felt deeply and used music as a way to express those emotions.  When Lorne sang, people knew he meant what he sang and many were touched by his musical abilities.  He sang with his heart.  Over the years, he directed many church choirs and was a song leader for 44 years at the Rosenort EMC.  He was the soloist at over 150 weddings.  In the last few years, Lorne directed a seniors choir, called the Keenagers, based in Winnipeg.  The last time he directed this choir was on October 12 of this year.  It was their 100th concert with him as their director. 

Lorne’s passionate personality and many talents were displayed as well in his love for sports.  He gave his all in everything he played and coached!  He enjoyed ALL sports!  He loved playing hockey and was a top scorer for the local Regals team. He also enjoyed baseball, curling, and golf. This past summer he was thrilled to play 18 rounds of golf. Often these sports were enjoyed along with Doris. He was a physical education teacher and coached countless volleyball and basketball teams, track and field, and badminton to name a few.  His high performance skill and competitive spirit were of great benefit to the many teams he coached and played with!

In addition to his involvement with teaching, music, and sports, Lorne was a part of many church committees where his wisdom and discernment was highly valued. Most recently, he served as one of the leaders at the Heritage Sunday morning services. 

As much as Lorne was a multi talented individual with countless giftings, his approach was one of humility and he wouldn’t take the credit for himself. Above it all, everything he did was for the glory of his Heavenly Father and the praise went where it was due.  He lived as if the very breath gifted to him came straight from the Lord. 

Lorne wrote every day in a journal since he was 18 years old!  In the last month of his life, he continued to write, reflecting his desire to extend grace and love not just to his family, but to all nurses and staff at the hospital. The end of his journal entry on November 1, 2023 says “The ultimate goal for those who have met and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord is to meet Him one day in our final home - heaven!  What a day that will be!!” 

A funeral service will be held at the Rosenort EMC on December 4, 2023 at 2:00pm with refreshments and a time of sharing to follow.

A private interment at the Rosenort cemetery will be held before the service.

There will be a public viewing at Rosenort EMC on Sunday, December 3, 2023 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

Donations in memory of Lorne Kornelsen may be made to the Red River Valley School Division (RedHawks Riding the Pine Project, Rosenort School,Box 400, Morris, Manitoba R0G 1K0 | Phone 204-746-2317)