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Doreen Helen Henry Obituary

Brought to you by McKenzie Funeral Services

Doreen Helen Henry

West Vancouver, BC

June 14, 1945 - October 3, 2021

Doreen Helen Henry Obituary

Doreen Helen Henry, aged 76, of Halfmoon Bay, passed away on October 3, 2021, with her beloved family by her side. She was born to the late Cornelius and Mary Rempel on June 14, 1945, in Chilliwack, BC where she grew up together with her brother Bob and two sisters, Lois and Jeanette. She is pre-deceased by her brother whose ashes were shot out of a potato gun over his neighbouring vineyard in Oliver. Doreen graduated from the Faculty of Education at UBC and became a teacher.


Doreen was married to Merv Henry on July 9, 1966, in Chilliwack BC. They moved to Toronto, and after having two sons (Mike and Justin) soon relocated to Denver. In 1977 they made their way back to BC: North Vancouver. You may remember “Mrs. Henry” if you went to elementary school on the North Shore, where she received great praise during parent-teacher interviews. Decades after retirement she would still correct her children’s grammar: in fact, she never stopped.


You may have known Doreen from the curling rink at the NSWC or from her time as a “hockey mom”. She formed life-long friendships with the hockey parents with whom she bonded and created an abundance of memories. In the off season, she loved camping with her family throughout BC, particularly at Mahood lake. There she found contentment sitting by the campfire and reading her book, sometimes just looking out over the lake. Occasionally she did get out on the lake which generated some fantastic fish stories; like the time that her dog Benji got up with all four feet on the 1” trim of the boat to check out the excitement over the fish she was bringing in. She had to choose between pulling the dog back in the boat or keeping her fish on the line. The dog went swimming.


Upon retirement, Doreen and Merv moved to Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast. There Doreen was an active and often boisterous member of the community. She loved music and sang with the Pender Harbor choir and SASS. You could also sometimes catch her singing at home or in the car, or at the Lions games. Doreen was driven to help people. For many years she was organizing fundraisers for Habitat for Humanity, the Salmon Enhancement Society, and other charitable causes. She has been a member of multiple book clubs and always had several books on the go which you could find beside each of her favorite chairs, in her car, and in her handbag.


Over the years Doreen accumulated many miles and memories traveling with Merv, as well as family and friends, around the world. She also accumulated many, often bizarre, earrings. You may have joined her on a trip somewhere across Canada, or anywhere in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, or Asia. Camping trips down the coast to Mexico with Merv and their beloved dog Finn occurred annually until their encounter with the banditos. They also carried out in-depth genealogy searches including trips to Ukraine and Ireland.


Back at home, Doreen cherished welcoming guests for dinner, bridge, or just a visit. There would always be an appy waiting on the coffee table when you got there.


Doreen is survived by her loving husband Merv, her sisters Jeanette and Lois, her sons and daughters in law Mike & Elaine, Justin & Hanne, and her grandchildren, whom she loved more than anything, Mattias, Keelin, and Connor. Her last words were “remember the potato gun”.


Hope their aint no grammer misteaks mum.


We are deeply sorry that, due to Covid restrictions, attendance at Doreen's service will be by invitation only. We are doing our best to include lots of close friends, but we will surely miss many people dear to her heart. We will be placing a memorial plaque for Doreen at the Memory Garden at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Pender Harbour in the near future. We will post an update here once it is in place for those who wish to pay their respects. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Habitat for Humanity, BC Cancer Foundation, or your favourite charity. Please also feel free to post your thoughts, memories, and photos on this website.

To share a memory or send a condolence gift, please visit the Official Obituary of Doreen Helen Henry hosted by McKenzie Funeral Services.

Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Doreen Helen Henry.