It is with sad hearts we announce the passing of Durkje "Dickie" Collins. Dickie fought bravely and won many challenging battles over the past 16 months, but ultimately, the foe of cancer was just too powerful - and she lost the war. She was devastated by the deaths of her husband of 54 years, Bruce (2015) and her son Steven (2020).
She is survived by her daughter Sheila, partner Sue, and their children Finn, Trinity, and Stelly. She will also be sadly missed by her eldest grandchild, Taylor (Steven's daughter) as well as her many relatives in both Saskatoon and Holland.
Born in Holland during WW2, Dickie's family emigrated to Canada in 1951 and settled in Saskatoon. She trained as a psychiatric nurse and met Bruce at her graduation. They were married within months and moved to Clearbrook the next year.
Dickie was very proud of her career at the Matsqui Police Department, working her way up through her 25 years of service to executive assistant to the chief and deputy chief. She retired in 1996 and replaced the office with the golf course.
Dickie lived by the motto: "My attitude to life is the same as my blood type: B+". She stayed true to her motto throughout her life and most recently throughout her battle with cancer, often saying "she needed to thank cancer because without cancer, she would have never known how truly loved she was."
Dickie loved to laugh and make other people happy. The longevity of Dickie's friendships are a testament to her bubbly personality, compassion, and selflessness.
Her commitment to the community was outstanding: she was a 100+ blood donor, volunteered at the Red Cross and "Operation Red Nose" for over 20 years, spent time visiting at care homes, and served on the boards of several organizations, all committed to making people's lives better. She loved attending church and took comfort in her faith with other members of the congregation of Trinity Memorial United Church.
After retiring in 1996, her passion became the golf course. She treasured the friendships she made at Fraserglen Golf Club in her 25 years as a member and particularly enjoyed the camaraderie of the Tuesday Ladies' Day.
After Bruce died, Dickie rekindled her love of travelling and enjoyed the many cruises she took, as well as her favorite destination, Australia, where her daughter and grandchildren live. Her last Australia trip being extra special, as her granddaughter Taylor was able to join her for a Christmas celebration.
Dickie was fiercely competitive by nature, loved sports and her "Canucks". She enjoyed nights out at the rink for Canucks games, including jaunts to watch her boys play in Las Vegas with her partners in fun: Leah, Saige and Michelle.
Keeping true to her competitive nature, she also loved to play crib and scrabble, entering many tournaments over the years at the Highwayman Pub.
Our family will be forever grateful for the compassion, love, and enormous amount of time dedicated to Dickie's care over the past two years by a group we called "Mum's Posse" - Leah and Saige Carlson, Michelle Jack, her goddaughter Cyndi Lotts and husband Chris, and her cousin Veronica Hanegraaf.
Special thank you to her dear friend and travel pal, Shirley, who took her to many appointments the "posse" were unable to attend, and to Sharon, who made sure the house was always full of flowers and always lent a helping hand. She adored all of you so much and passed peacefully, knowing how incredibly loved she was.
Perhaps Dickie's greatest legacy was the way she lived her life: loving her family and friends unconditionally, always embracing the beauty of life through love and laughter, giving back to the community she held so dear to her heart, but most all through her motto and attitude to life, which was to be like her blood type and just be positive.
Dickie had a zest for life, an infectious laugh, and a heart of gold. Her passing has left a hole in our hearts. We will miss you, Dickie.
Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no service at this time.
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