Randall (Randy) Gnyp: born June 11, 1958 - February 18, 2025, aged 66 years.
Randy Gnyp passed away on Feb. 18, 2025, at the age of 66. Randy was born in Kamsack, Saskatchewan but his heart was in Jasper, Alberta. This is where his career on the CN Rail was cut short by a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder at the age of 23 while writing his papers to become an Engineer. Never wanting to be defined by his diagnosis, he was forever returning to Jasper, and to the job he loved, but unfortunately that dream never materialized.
Several years later when Randy thought maybe going back to the CN wasn’t in his future, he obtained his Welding ticket and worked as a Boilermaker in Edmonton, AB. Being somewhat fearless, and acquiring good skill at the job, Randy worked in many dangerous situations, which he was paid well for. Unfortunately, money was his enemy (although he never saw it that way!). He loved to buy expensive things, and promptly give them away! (Someone out there was the lucky recipient of a pair of L-tech 9’s, (very expensive speakers back in the ‘80’s, you’re welcome!), along with numerous other items his generous nature found homes for.
The ups and downs of bipolar disorder made holding a job extremely difficult for Randy, but it never curbed his humour, and his kind and generous heart. (Unless he decided he was “better” and stopped taking his medication, then it was a different story; so to those of you he may have been a bit too “spirited” with, he was always sorry, it was after-all the illness speaking, not Randy).
Randy didn’t have many hobbies, but his passion for music started young (much to our mother’s chagrin as seemingly weekly packages arrived from Columbia Records!), and continued throughout his life until a week before he passed. You would never walk by his room without music playing. The transformative nature of music took Randy places he could never go physically, what a beautiful gift.
Randy was the eldest of four children, he loved and was loved by his siblings. He leaves behind his sister Cheryl, his brother Brent, sister-in-law Toni, and nieces Alex (Cutts) and Mikayla Gnyp, and nephew Jake (Cutts), along with numerous cousins and aunts. Always with a smile on your face, and a ready “thank you”, Fighter, as he was known to his friends in his youth, you are now free; free of your illness, and we hope, free to live a renewed pain free life with those waiting for you; his father, Alfred, his mother Doris (nee Hoobanoff), and his brother Barry.
Somewhere up there there’s a party going on with the best of the 70’s and 80’s blasting away on the very clearest speakers money can’t buy! In speaking openly about Bipolar Disorder we hope to bring greater awareness to the illness, and the need for additional support for mental health in general. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Canadian Mental Health Association, Saskatchewan Division: http://sk.cmha.ca Funeral Service will be held at a later date. To leave a note of condolence for the family please visit wolkowski.ca
