Noreen Dekker

Agnes Noreen Dekker, of Chatham and formerly of Port Colborne, passed away at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on Wednesday, January 14th. Noreen was one of three children born to the late Robert & Georgina (Henderson) Roy and was predeceased by her sister, Joyce (Robert) Wylie, and brother, Robert Roy. On August 26, 1961, Noreen married her best friend, Reindert Dekker, and began a journey that would span over 58 years; five years dating and 53 years of marriage. Together they raised two sons, Ronald, married to Ruth, who live in Chatham with their three children and Robert Dekker who lives in B.C. and has three children. Noreen was a kind and caring person, with a fantastic sense of humour, who loved reading, gardening and telling stories After her father died, Noreen and Reindert moved in with her mother to care for her. Noreen lived for her grandchildren and enjoyed summer holidays because it meant that she could have Erin, Owen and Morgan, from Chatham, for extended visits to her home in Port Colborne. In their retirement years, Noreen and Reindert enjoyed adventures in far flung places, including Hawaii, Alaska, Holland and Scotland. They frequently travelled to New York state to visit her niece, Joyce, her husband, Brian Mader and their three children. In August, 2013, they moved to Caleb Village in Chatham to be closer to their children and grandchildren. In keeping with Noreen’s wishes, cremation has taken place. Friends and family are invited to gather at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home, 53 Stanley Street in Blenheim on Saturday, January 17, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a casual reception and a time to share stories and celebrate Noreen’s life. Friends wishing to remember Noreen with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Chatham-Kent Hospice.