Denise DeWitte

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/