Reidar Hagtvedt
Reidar (Ray) Hagtvedt of Edmonton, Alberta, died on Saturday May 10th, 2025, at the age of 56 years. Ray is survived by his wife, Lorraine Thirsk, and sons Benjamin and Alexander; his brother Henrik Hagtvedt, sister-in-law Lydia, and niece Elana; parents-in-law Margot and Theo Thirsk; brother-in-law Russell Thirsk (Kari) and their children Sydney (Chris), Evan, and Anna; sister-in-law Kimberley Thirsk (Kevin); aunt and uncle Liv & Øivind Adamsrød; cousins Marit (Ingvar) Adamsrød, Kari (Kim) Adamsrød, and numerous other cousins in Norway.
He was predeceased by his father, Finn Hagtvedt; mother, Berit Hagtvedt; and cousin, Anne-Berit Adamsrød.
Celebration of Life
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.
The Lodge at Snow Valley
13204 Rainbow Valley Rd. NW Edmonton
with Rev. Rachel Frey officiating.
Those wishing to view the service via LiveStream, may do so by accessing the following link: LiveStreamReidarHagtvedt
Flowers are welcome, or if family and friends so desire, memorial donations in Ray’s honour may be made to Against Malaria Foundation, Fistula Foundation, or Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Lorraine and family, I grieve with you. Ray was a good friend, a gifted teacher, and a wonderful husband and father. My life was richer for having known him and he will be sorely missed.
Thoughts and prayers with you Theo and your family during this difficult time.
Deepest condolence for the loss. We were lucky to know Ray in our early careers.
Lorraine and boys, Theo and Margo and family we are keeping you all in our thoughts and prayers. Our deepest condolences as you navigate this very difficult time.
Dolores and Ron
My deepest condolences Lorraine to you and the boys. Ray was such a good friend and colleague. He loved life and his family, and valued facts, scientific rigor and intellectual honesty in his important research in health care, and as a professor. I will miss his company, wisdom, and our many conversations.
My thoughts are with Ray and with all of us who lost a great man, but most of all, with his family. His wife and boys who he often spoke so highly of. They were his pride and joy. My deepest condolences to his family. Rays memory truely will live on in the countless lives he touched.
I was lucky enough to have worked with him both as a student and as a colleague. I always looked forward to our interactions together as he was so thoughtful, interesting, honest, and kind. I am forever grateful for positive impact he made on me. I am so sorry for you loss Lorraine, Theo, and Margo.
My deepest condolences!
I enjoyed Ray as a professor and loved the long talks I had with him during my course.
He was fabulous, wicked sense of humour and fantastic with numbers. Over the years, his teachings always rang around my head and I constantly use his views and ways when I teach and use numbers.
To Ray, doing what he loved!
Ray was a great man. I was fortunate to work with him both as his student and later as a colleague. He was kind, humble, and exceptionally intelligent — always thought-provoking in conversation. He often spoke with deep affection and pride about his family. I’m thinking of Lorraine, and his sons, Benjamin and Alexander, during this difficult time.
My deepest condolences to you and the boys, Lorraine. Ray and I met 40 years ago in high school when we attended the STEM program. Ray has been a dear friend since then. He was always there to help and support you, when you needed it. He had the highest ethical standard and integrity to do the right thing, and if he thought the best thing for you was to be challenged, he challenged you head on. He was funny in his own way, and he was the smartest guy around. I remember we were going to start a business in high school in Norway, and the dean asked us who we were. Ray answered: “we are your best students”. A funny but factual statement. Ray loved Lorraine and the boys dearly, and had started the journey to teach the boys about the world through travels. He was the best friend you could ever ask for, and will be missed dearly.
Ray and I met in graduate school through a mutual friend, Kate. We all became friends in the little in-betweens that occurred in our programs. Every day we would grab coffee, go to the gym, talk out little puzzles associated with our classes, research, or interests. We’d also often discussed what we hoped we’d be doing in a few years, and then dive right back into whatever work we’d been assigned. Despite our vastly different backgrounds, I always felt that Ray went out of his way to find the things we had in common, and enjoy any differences. He was truly interested in everything and everyone, both personally and academically. What made him special is that he saw what was unique, interesting, and beautiful in everyone he met. It always felt that conversations with Ray were deeply meaningful and personal. Our last conversation was in a text about his entertainingly massive truck, and a picture of his boys enjoying a “glorious” day at the beach in South Carolina. I wish we all had more time with you. I will miss you, Ray.