Obituary of Sjoerdina Titia Detje DECHESNE

Sjoerdina (Dine) Titia Detje Dechesne passed away peacefully in Calgary, Alberta with her children at her side on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at the age of 86.

Dine was born in Zaandam into the large Winkler family. During WWII, Dine and her siblings were scattered from each other around the Netherlands. As a young adult she travelled from Zaandam to Canada to visit her sister Riet and eventually took employment as a stenographer, met her husband Swibertus (Bert) Dechesne, and married in 1959. Her interests were many and varied. When her children were growing up there was knitting; sewing; crocheting; beekeeping; birds; plants and foraging native foods; jam, yogurt, and wine making; gardening; reading; gold-panning; and camping. Dine and Bert and the kids travelled on many camping trips and on the couple’s last trip on their own to Europe they had their fondest travel of all, on a side trip to England. A course that Dine and Bert took to learn painting when the children were still young became a gift for their leisure as both turned to painting in their later lives.

Dine is survived by her sons, Roland (Tammy) Dechesne, Richard (Lily) Dechesne; and her daughter Sharon (Gerry) Mansiere; step-grand sons, Michael (Ania) with great-grand baby Rosalyn, and Garren; and grand-children: Grant, Jacqueline, and Julia who were central to her life. Dine is also survived by two siblings, Riet Kruit and To Post; her in-laws, Renée Ditmar, Peter Bongers, Edith Winkler, and Tineke Lucas. Dine was predeceased by her husband Bert.

A Celebration of Dine’s Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB) on Friday, March 6, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., reception to follow in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Dine’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com.  In lieu of flowers, a donation towards the charities Dine collected for over the years would be appreciated. These included the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, 200, 119 – 14th Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1Z6 Telephone: (403) 264-5549, www.heartandstroke.ca and the Canadian Cancer Society, 200 – 325 Manning Rd. N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 2P5 Telephone: (403) 205-3966, email donorservices@cancer.ab.ca.   

In living memory of Sjoerdina Dechesne, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis and Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.