November 19, 1956 - November 21, 2018
It is with a heavy heart and deepest regrets that we announce the sudden death of our beloved Dean from a heart attack on November 21, two days after his 62nd birthday.
He was born in Chilliwack and graduated from CSSS in 1974, followed by three years at UBC in Commerce with hopes of becoming a lawyer. Dean was unfortunately forced to quit when his mental health struggles took over. He was a good athlete who loved baseball, hockey and beating Wendy at ping-pong. He loved driving his Red Camaro and hanging out with friends in our basement on Barton Ave, while of course listening to loud music.
Dean was a great son, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin to all of his extended family and will be surely missed. He is survived by his mother and father (Verla and Morris) and two sisters (Wendy Fitzsimmons and Rene Jansen). He will be laid to rest at Little Mountain Cemetery next to his paternal grandparents and extended family. No service is planned at this time.
Those who knew Dean well appreciated his struggles in life and his attempts to be as independent as possible, which was never an easy thing living with ongoing mental health issues.
In lieu of flowers a donation to the BC Schizophrenia Society would be greatly appreciated @bcss.org.
"Schizophrenia is not a weakness it is an illness; the strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about"
Rest in peace Dean, you don't need to fight anymore.