Andrew R. Jarecsni

June 24, 1948 – November 28, 2024

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law and uncle on Thursday November 28, 2024 at the Chatham-Kent Hospice, at the age of 76 years.

He was born in Chatham Ontario, son of the late Andrew A. Jarecsni and the former Anna Eros.  He is survived by his wife, Julia (Walsh) of Merlin and his two daughters Sarah and husband Devon Ronson of Kilworth and Rebecca and husband Brandon Hubbard of London.  He leaves behind his beloved grandchildren:  Landon and Arlee Ronson and Kaiden, Brody and Hudson Hubbard.  Also surviving are his siblings Dr. Emil Jarecsni (Roberta) of Leamington, Dr. Monica Dahl (late Dr. Ed Dahl) of Courtney BC, Lillian Graham (Ron) of Coquitlam BC, Goldie Coombs (Randy) of Grimsby, and Ted Jarecsni (Cheryl) of Chatham as well as his sisters in law Mary and husband Ron Ryan of St. Columban, Maria (late Michael) Walsh of Stratford, the late Lucy Walsh (Late Michael Northcote), Helen and her husband Dennis Muir of Stratford and brother in law Joseph (Late Lynn) of Toronto.  He was dear “Unc” to several nieces and nephews.

Andrew had many careers during his lifetime including loans supervisor at Victoria and Grey Trust, farmer in the Merlin area, volunteer firefighter for several years with the South Raleigh Fire Department and over 20 years as custodian at several schools served by the St. Clair Separate School Board, where he was affectionately known as “Mr. J.” to staff and students.

Friends and family may join us at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home, 60 Stanley Street, Blenheim, Ontario on Tuesday December 3, 2024 from 2-4 and 6-8 pm.  The funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Church and Shrine, 5773 Tenth Line, Merlin, Ontario at 11 am on Wednesday December 4, 2024.  Fr. Anthony Kamalathasan C.R. will be celebrant.  Interment will immediately follow in the church cemetery.  As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to the Chatham-Kent Hospice, or St. Patrick’s Church and Shrine, Merlin.

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Jack Laird Scoyne.  He passed away peacefully with family by his side, in his 92nd year, on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.  Born on February 13, 1932. Son of the late Russell and Nona (Burchiel) Scoyne.

For 30 years he was the loving husband to Alice (Segeren) Scoyne.  Pre-deceased by  his brother and sister-in-law Gordon (Madeline) Scoyne of Florida.

He will be missed by Jim (Ann) Segeren, predeceased by Daniel (late Diane) Segeren.

Proud grandfather to Jason (Josselynne) Segeren, Melissa (Ahmed) Al-Jaishi, and Maggie Segeren (Nick Armstrong).  Great-grandfather to Emma Segeren, Adam Al-Jaishi and Lena Al-Jaishi.

Survived by Leo (Pauline) Segeren, Toni (Leo) Ouellette, Deanna (Late Joseph) Segeren, Bert (Annie) Segeren, Eunice (Late Pete) Segeren, Carol (Late William) Segeren, and Sue (Late Bob) Segeren).

Cremation has taken place and a private graveside service will be held.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or Diabetes Canada.

Muriel Rose (Sheeler) McLeod of Merlin passed away at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on November 26, 2024.  She will be forever loved by her daughter Carolyn & Andre Lavigne, her son Bradley & Sarah McLeod, her grandchildren Andre Jr, Ashleigh, Vanessa and Dylan and great-grandchildren Benjamin and Amelia.  She will be remembered fondly by her life long friend Marilyn Gardiner.  Muriel was born 89 years ago to the late Verna & James Sheeler.  She was predeceased in life by her son Stephen in 1962 and her husband Max in 2019.

Aside from the joys of spending time with her family, Muriel attended as many car races as she could over the last 40 years at both the Ridge Raceway and the South Buxton Raceway, especially nights that Brad was racing.  She worked for Pioneer in Chatham for 35 years during the seasonal harvest times and cleaned houses for elderly members of the Merlin community for many years.

Muriel’s wish was for a private family service with her friend Mae Bedford officiating to take place.  She will be interred in Pardoville Cemetery next to Max.

It is with broken hearts that we announce that Denise Madeline DeWitte, daughter of the late Suzanne (Vermeulen) and Jules VanBiesbrouck, passed away on Tuesday November 26, at the age of 91. A woman devoted to her husband and family, Denise and Archie shared a beautiful marriage and life together for almost 60 years before his passing in 2014. She was a lifeline to her children Paul DeWitte, who predeceased her in 2009 (Judy) of Kitchener, Mark DeWitte (Lori) of Brampton, and Susan DeWitte (Jim) of Blenheim, devoted grandmother to Janet Stephenson (Jamie), Nicholas DeWitte, Sarah Thompson, and Michael Thompson, great-grandmother to Sally Stephenson (Eric Pigden), and great-great grandmother to Joey Pigden. Denise is survived by her loving brother Robert VanBiesbrouck (Julie, 2024) of London, and adoring sister Lenore Bedford (Murray) of Brampton. 

Denise was the heart of her family. She was known for her elaborate family dinners, served on elegant matching china sets, bringing family together over delicious food for many evenings of shared love and laughter. 

She put one hundred percent of herself into everything she did. She worked at Talbot Street School for 15 years and spent 17 years at St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School. Mrs. DeWitte will be remembered fondly by her primary students for her firm but gentle guidance and lessons. She continued to give herself to school communities as a grandparent, whether it be storytelling days dressed as Cat-In-The-Hat, or serving up her famous brownies for school celebrations. 

She enjoyed travelling and exploring the world, whether it be on annual family trips to the cottage in Erie Beach, or romantic trips abroad to Greece, Hawaii, and Belgium with her husband. She took pride in her long active membership at St. Mary’s Church in Blenheim, and enjoyed reading with her daughter and granddaughter weekly at Mass.  Her faith was incredibly important to her, and she will be remembered by all in the community as a devoted follower of Christ and a woman that followed His teachings and truly lived her life according to His word.

When not on grandma duty, she enjoyed attending Home Run for her morning Coffee Club and playing Cribbage and cards with her friends. She will be remembered for her love of animals, her quick wit, and her love of music and dance. But most importantly, she will be remembered for her generosity, her kindness, and tenacity. 

We’d like to thank the dedicated staff at Village on the Ridge in Ridgetown and her medical team of Dr. Clendenning and Dr. Prins, who have given her excellent care and treated her with compassion and love.

Friends and family are invited to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Friday, November 29th from 2-4pm and 6-8pm to pay their respects to Denise and her family. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary’s Church on Saturday, November 30th at noon with internment to follow in Evergreen Cemetery. All are welcome to attend a lunch afterwards at St. Mary’s Hall. Those wishing to remember Denise with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada https://www.heartandstroke.ca/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give or the Ontario SPCA.  https://ontariospca.ca/

Blanche Burke passed away at the Blenheim Community Village on November 22, 2024.  She was the loving wife of the late Frank Burke (2014) who she affectionately called “Pete”.  She is survived by her two sons who she adored Doug Burke and Peter Burke (Sherri Burke) and was predeceased by; her daughter and son-in-law Rosemary Morden (Ken).  She will be remembered fondly by 8 grandchildren and their families which includes 14 great-grandchildren.

Blanche was born in Harwich Township 95 years ago to the late Lottie & Sidney Ward.  She is survived by her sister Shirley Green and is predeceased by her siblings and their spouses Jean Tole (Byron), Leora Rodwell (Clarence), Earl Ward (Loretta), Raeburn Ward, John Ward (Doris), Sidney Ward (Jackie) and Jim Green.

In her early years, Blanche worked as a telephone operator at Bell Telephone.  Following that, she worked for many years at Greer’s Fabric Store in Blenheim and then finished off her working career at the Green Door Bakeshop.  She was a long time member of Trinity Anglican Church in Blenheim.

It was her wish that her family remember her at a private service conducted by the Reverend Cannon John Anderson.

Family and friends wishing to remember Blanche with a memorial donation are asked to consider Trinity Anglican Church or the Chatham-Kent Hospice at https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/

Elizabeth Anne McKee (née Hawkins), born on August 20, 1937, passed away peacefully on November 18, 2024, joining her beloved husband, Donald McKee.  Together, they shared a life filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories.

Anne is survived by her sister Lorna Gray (née Hawkins) and her devoted children, Tony (Jennifer), John (Kim), and Laura along with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was a source of strength and inspiration to her family, always encouraging them to pursue their dreams and embrace life with joy.

Known for her warmth, generosity, and unwavering support, Anne had a wide range of hobbies that brought her immense joy.  She loved gardening, puzzling, crossword puzzles, and cooking, often sharing her creations with family and friends.

Following her wishes, Anne will be cremated.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Society https://alzheimer.ca/chathamkent/en/take-action/donate .

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Norma Jean Smith, age 75, on November 12, 2024. Norma is survived by her loving husband of 51 years, Dick, her daughter, Julianne, and son-in-law, Todd, and grandchildren Morgan and Kate, all of Blenheim. She is also survived by her three siblings – Katharine Watt (Hugh) of Listowel, Bill Dryden (Dawn) of Nanaimo, BC and Betty Fitzsimmons (Dorne) of Tiverton, as well as her extended Smith family – Diana, Linda, Helen, Ab, Jan, Patricia, Jean and Carol, along with several nieces and nephews. Norma is predeceased by her parents, Norman and Elma Dryden, her in-laws Nathan and Neva Smith and by many other special angels.

Norma was born and raised on the family farm in Paisley, Ontario. She attended high school in Walkerton before moving away to get her degree at the University of Waterloo. It was during this time that Norma met Dick and consequently, the group of people who would become the greatest of lifelong friends.

Norma and Dick married in 1973 and settled in Blenheim. Norma began her career at the Southwest Regional Centre and soon after, found her professional calling through teaching in the DSW program at St Clair College in Chatham. She was an incredible asset to the program for a long period of time, and a strong advocate of people with disabilities.

Norma was also an active member of the community, volunteering for endless causes over the years. She sat on the steering committee when the Special Olympics came to town, worked in the CKHA gift shop, at the food bank and enthusiastically organized “Santa’s Secret Shop” as part of the Festival of Trees event, among other pursuits. Her most treasured role, however, was dedicated mother to Julianne. If you knew Norma, you knew her world centered on her daughter. She was always there to help, encourage, listen and show love to Julianne, while graciously extending that same caring manner to the many others who walked through her door.

In their retirement years, Norma and Dick traveled extensively. They were lucky to have seen so much together and lucky to have shared those experiences with friends old and new. Norma was especially fond of Longboat Key, FL where the winters weren’t so cold and the people were some of the best. While travel held a special place in both of their hearts, nothing compared to home. Erie Beach is an incredibly special community and Norma was so proud to be a part of it for 45 years.

Norma loved Christmas, baking elaborate birthday cakes and a good Pinot. In fact, she loved celebrating any and every special occasion and accomplishment with her family and friends. She thrived in the role of hostess, was a keen participant in the Four Thirsty Club and an original member of the Beavers. She was immensely creative and the most thoughtful of gift givers. Norma was a cheerleader for her kids and grandkids in everything they did (sometimes with pom poms..) and took her role as Grandmama very seriously. She could always be counted on to infuse fun and imagination into her adventures with Morgan and Kate, albeit with good manners of course. She loved her people fiercely and felt that love back from so many. Her presence will be deeply missed, but we know for certain her legacy and spirit will shine on in us.

Visitation will be held at Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Saturday, November 16th from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Willow Ridge Golf & Country Club on Sunday, November 17th from 11am to 2pm with remarks at 11:30am and luncheon to follow. We encourage attendees to wear holiday attire, or accessorize with a little Christmas sparkle, in honour of Norma.

We would like to thank Dr. Clendenning, Mary Beth Cadotte, Dr. Bailey and the staff of the Chatham Kent Hospice for their exceptional care. We would also like to thank our family and dear friends for their endless support and kindness through Norma’s battle with Parkinson’s. If you choose to make a donation in Norma’s memory, please consider Chatham Kent Hospice https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/ or Blenheim Medical Health Foundation https://blenheimhealthhub.com/donate/ .

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Ann Beatty (nee Pullen) peacefully on November 9th at Chatham-Kent Hospice surrounded by her family after a brave battle with cancer.

Cherished wife of Ernest Beatty, born in England 75 years ago to the late George and Molly Pullen.

Dear mother of Catherine Wyatt (Marc Green), Scott Haddock (Kim MacDonald), and Robert (Jennifer) Beatty.

Loving grandmother to Brandon (Amanda), Samantha, Santana, Jason (Justine), Nicole, Ryan, Cassie (Mike), Jazmyn, John, Isabelle, and great grandmother to eight.

Survived by brother Frank (Heather) Pullen, sister to the late Patricia (Art) Wardle. Aunt Ann and will be dearly missed by several nieces and nephews.

A time for close family and friends to gather together will take place at the Blenheim Community Funeral on Monday November 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Chatham-Kent Community Living and the Chatham-Kent Hospice.

The family shares sincere gratitude for the kind staff of the Chatham Kent Hospice who offered comfort and support to Ann in her final days.

It causes us great sadness to announce the passing of Joshua Edwin Klages on November 2, 2024.  Joshua was born in Chatham on October 15, 1986.  He will be greatly missed by his mother Brenda (Caron) Klages, his sister Stacey Klages, his stepsisters Becky and Deb and his grandfather Maurice Caron.  Josh was predeceased by his father Dave Klages on May 8, 2024, his best friend Lily Anne, his Aunt Deb Foster, grandparents Beth & Alvin Klages, grandmother Irene Caron and his Aunt Dianne Jenkins.  He is survived by many aunts, uncles, nephews, niece and cousins.

Josh had a heart of gold and would do anything to help his friends out.  He was generous to a fault and would give away his last two dollars; a good-hearted act that was often taken advantage of.  In his lifetime he struggled with addiction, but through it all he remained kind and humble.  We were never embarrassed by his struggle, and we were proud of his fight and determination to recover and make a better life for himself.  Unfortunately, relapse is recognized as part of recovery and on November 2, Josh died of an unintentional overdose.  Once again, the damn drugs won.

There will be no visitation or funeral for Josh because that’s not what he would have wanted.  Instead, we will remember him privately and celebrate the things that made him Josh.  If you would like to remember him, please consider donating to the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Mental Health and Addictions program.

If you are struggling, reach out to someone and if you know someone who is struggling, walk beside them without judgement.  Do that for Josh.

Lily Anne