Author.
Born at Kamloops, British Columbia on 3 May 1968, son of William Van Rooy and Lois Young Tjernagel (c1937-2012), he grew up in Winnipeg and studied History at the University of Manitoba. He worked as a teacher, newspaper editor, bartender, cheesemaker, casino dealer, restaurant manager, and freelance writer. He wrote three well-received mystery novels, starting with An Ordinary Decent Criminal (2005) and continuing with Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal (2008), and A Criminal to Remember (2010). His first book won the 2006 Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book by a Manitoba Writer and, in 2009, he received the John Hirsh Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer. He died suddenly on 27 January 2011 while promoting his latest book at Montreal, Quebec. He was survived by a wife and three children.
“Winnipegger's debut mystery astonishing” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 2001, page 21.
Michael Van Rooy website, Internet Archive [31 January 2011].
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 4 February 2011.
Obituary [Lois Young Van Rooy], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 August 2012.
“They shall not be forgotten” by Kevin Rollason, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 2011, page i1
Michael Van Rooy, GoodReads.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 January 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
