Obituary for Donalda Jacqueline Derban (Donaldson)
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our mother and grandmother, Jacqueline Derban, on December 23, 2023, in North Vancouver. Our thanks to the staff of Amica Edgemont for the care and activities they provided to Jackie in her final years. She will be greatly missed by her children Vance (Janet), Dwayne (Andrea) and Melani (Branko), grandchildren Coby and Jamie and sister Judith (Russ). She was pre-deceased by her husband Darrell and siblings Thornton, Joan, and James.
Jackie was born on February 12th, 1931, in Moose Jaw, SK. She grew up in the nearby village of Bridgeford where her father was stationmaster and ran the general store. Her family spent the war years in Moose Jaw. In 1946 after her father returned from Europe they moved out to the West Coast where she graduated as the top student from all four Burnaby high schools in 1948. She won a scholarship to UBC and graduated with a BA in Chemistry in 1952 followed by a BEd in 1953. From 1953 to 1962 she moved throughout BC, teaching math at several high schools on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley, Kootenays, Okanagan and Peace River areas. In 1962 she married Darrell Derban in Dawson Creek and returned to Vancouver where her children were born. The family moved to Kamloops in 1968 where she taught at Kam Hi and Norkam. Darrell and Jackie relocated to White Rock in 1990 to be closer to family, where she enjoyed walks along the seawall. In retirement, she was the primary babysitter for Coby and Jamie for several years in the late 90’s and early 00’s in North Vancouver and on Bowen Island.
Jackie was a dedicated teacher who was affectionately known to her students as ‘Gramma Dynamite’. In her younger years, Jackie was active in sports like track & field and softball. Walking was an important part of her daily routine. She was a fantastic cook and held many memorable dinners for family and friends. An avid bridge player, she also enjoyed hosting bridge parties and taught her children and many others how to play. Jackie loved to travel and had a great sense of adventure. In the late 1950s, she took long trips to Europe (teaching in London) and the Far East / South Pacific with her friend Pat Johnston, and then in the 1970s went around the world with her family, spending a year in New Zealand.
A memorial service will be held at West Vancouver Presbyterian Church, 2893 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, followed by refreshments in the church basement.
Jackie was born on February 12th, 1931, in Moose Jaw, SK. She grew up in the nearby village of Bridgeford where her father was stationmaster and ran the general store. Her family spent the war years in Moose Jaw. In 1946 after her father returned from Europe they moved out to the West Coast where she graduated as the top student from all four Burnaby high schools in 1948. She won a scholarship to UBC and graduated with a BA in Chemistry in 1952 followed by a BEd in 1953. From 1953 to 1962 she moved throughout BC, teaching math at several high schools on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley, Kootenays, Okanagan and Peace River areas. In 1962 she married Darrell Derban in Dawson Creek and returned to Vancouver where her children were born. The family moved to Kamloops in 1968 where she taught at Kam Hi and Norkam. Darrell and Jackie relocated to White Rock in 1990 to be closer to family, where she enjoyed walks along the seawall. In retirement, she was the primary babysitter for Coby and Jamie for several years in the late 90’s and early 00’s in North Vancouver and on Bowen Island.
Jackie was a dedicated teacher who was affectionately known to her students as ‘Gramma Dynamite’. In her younger years, Jackie was active in sports like track & field and softball. Walking was an important part of her daily routine. She was a fantastic cook and held many memorable dinners for family and friends. An avid bridge player, she also enjoyed hosting bridge parties and taught her children and many others how to play. Jackie loved to travel and had a great sense of adventure. In the late 1950s, she took long trips to Europe (teaching in London) and the Far East / South Pacific with her friend Pat Johnston, and then in the 1970s went around the world with her family, spending a year in New Zealand.
A memorial service will be held at West Vancouver Presbyterian Church, 2893 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, at 2:00 pm on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, followed by refreshments in the church basement.