Fæddur 26. apríl 1940 í Gävle í Svíþjóð – Dáinn 28. febrúar 2022 í Reykjavík
Stig Arne Wadentoft fæddist í Gävle í Svíþjóð 26. apríl 1940. Hann lést á hjúkrunarheimilinu Grund mánudaginn 28. febrúar 2022.
Eiginmaður Stigs er Einar Þór Jónsson kennari, lýðheilsufræðingur og framkvæmdastjóri samtakanna HIV-Ísland, f. 1959.
17 ára gamall fluttist Stig einn til Stokkhólms, gekk í sænska sjóherinn og starfaði þar út starfsævina. Þar fékk hann menntun, var treyst fyrir mörgum ábyrgðastörfum og var lengi flotaforingi.
Stig var treyst fyrir forystuhlutverkum bæði í starfi sem og félagasamtökum í Svíþjóð og á Íslandi. Hann var brautryðjandi í mannréttindamálum og fyrsti formaður HIVsamtakanna í Svíþjóð og norrænu samtakanna. Stig sat í stjórn HIVÍsland í mörg ár. Hann var virkur í starfi Sænska félagsins á Íslandi. Stig var heiðursfélagi í öllum framangreindum félögum.
Frá HIV Nordic/Norrænu HIV samtökunum
Stig A. Wadentoft, the founder and former president of NordAll & NordPol known as Hiv-Norden today, has passed away.
The tireless work and effort that Stig put into the battle against HIV stigma & discrimination through the eighties and nineties, have influenced a countless numbers of HIV-positives in ways difficult to describe, but certainly with a smile on our face.
Many have passed away from AIDS through the early eighties to the mid nineties. Those who received the antiretroviral treatment and survived, began a proportionally better life surviving the epidemic times when AIDS brought families and friends together under sad circumstances, saying goodbye to their loved ones.
In times when early treatment regimes saved lives, many experienced, that the scent of new hope, was not immediately equivalent with better living conditions. Stig knew this, and he insisted on helping out on the many struggles, people experienced, with heavy medical side effects, discrimination and a distinct feeling of shame and loneliness.
These ‘invisible side effects’ are still present as we all, through our daily contact with people living with HIV, experience that HIV is not an ‘ordinary physical illness’.
Stig took major parts in paving the way for better living conditions for HIV-positives all over the Nordic region, and we are thankful, and we owe you, Stig, our best wishes for a peaceful last journey.
Our condolences goes to you Einar, as the wonderful husband left behind. We all know about the journey you both have been through the past years. May you find your peace and may your sorrow turn into relief with love and good memories in times to come.
On behalf of all boardmembers of NordAll, NordPol & Hiv-Nordic through more than three decades of activism, empowering people living with HIV.
Our deepest respect and condolences, from the current board members of HIV-Nordic.
Fyrir hönd stjórnar HIV-Nordic,
Jacob Chresten Hermansen.
