Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao Tzu
Catherine Delphine Marie was born Tuesday, January 10, 1967 in North Bay, Ontario to Donat and Yvette (Levesque) Desrochers. The three were later joined by little Jacqueline. Bonfield, a community on the Mattawa River, twenty-seven kilometres outside of North Bay, was where the girls grew up and attended public school. Bonfield was first settled in 1882 as a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway. For High School Catherine went to North Bay where she also attended Canadore College.
Following college, Catherine went south and found a job and living accommodations in Mississauga. She was employed at Stow & Davis Furniture Co. where a handsome young man was gathering the courage to ask her out. It was 1986 and by December the two were dating. His name? Daniel James Cann. Apparently, it was a slow process as Catherine had spread the word that she already had a boyfriend. Too funny!
The truth is, it wasn’t too slow of a process as the two were married July 2, 1988 in North Bay. Their signing witnesses were Kevin Crocket and Catherine’s sister Jackie. By this time, Catherine had moved on to work at S & S Truck & Tractor Canada in Mississauga while Dan remained at Stow & Davis. In time the couple relocated to Barrie, where Catherine worked at another Truck & Tractor location. It was here that they welcomed Samantha in 1991 and later Matthew in 1994.
Sadly, Samantha contracted E. Coli at the age of two and this would determine a difficult health trajectory that included receiving a kidney first from her Mom (2001) and then from her Dad (2005). Of course, both her parents were more than willing to give up the world to help their baby girl. It was after Catherine’s sacrifice that angels became exceedingly important to the family. Sammie always called her Mom “my angel.”
For five and a half years the Cann family lived, worked and played in Barrie. Then Dan sustained a back injury. It was 1993. It was a blow to the entire family and things were tough, to say the least. Chesley became home for a while before the family moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo area where Dan attended Conestoga College. Employment was found at Markem Products Ltd and they lived in this area for seven years until 2004. The family then moved to Hanover. Being bilingual, Catherine had a great asset most others did not. She soon found work as a customer sales representative at Shouldice Designer Stone in Shallow Lake, helping them with their French speaking clients in Quebec.
September 1, 2007 was another day that would, yet again and forever, alter the lives of the Cann family. Daughter Sammie and Catherine were involved in a car accident on the east side of Hanover. In getting out of the car to check on Samantha, Catherine’s extensive injuries were exacerbated. Life changed once again. Depression, physical limitations and PTSD symptoms were now commonplace and everyday trials and tribulations. Losing her job, and the support and social interactions implicit in the workplace was a real blow for Catherine. She lost her independence, amongst a myriad of other things. Catherine’s strength in her perseverance helped her to push through all of the above and more. Thankfully, even in the midst of all her pain and sadness, Catherine was able to remain vulnerable in sharing with her children her own life journey, helping both of them along the way. The loss of Dan’s brother Ron within the last five months was a definite blow to the family, the entire family.
However, no matter what happened, when or where, Catherine never stopped loving her family. She was fiercely protective of them and would go to the farthest limits of the earth for them. Whatever Sammie was involved in, i.e. Sparks, Brownies, Catherine became involved. No matter what issue Matt faced, Catherine was there right alongside of him. Trips to Hawaii (2006), Ohio and Florida were family affairs that everyone enjoyed. Catherine was kind and generous with a big heart. Even the friends of her children referred to her as “Mom!”
Catherine loved watching the TLC channel on TV. Reality shows were her favourite along with Hallmark movies. Doing Sudoku, listening to any form of Country music, reading trashy magazines (Come on now, we all read these at one time or another!), scratching Bingo Tickets, going to the drag races in Grand Bend and eating any kind of raspberry desserts were just some of Catherine’s favourite things to do. And oh how she loved her Yorkie dog, Mimi! Times spent at the family trailer near Paisley were also times that created precious memories.
Sadly, Catherine Delphine Marie (Desrochers) Cann of Hanover, passed away suddenly at home on Sunday, April 28, 2019 in her 53rd year.
Loving wife of Dan and cherished mother of Sammie and Matt. She will live on in the hearts and minds of her grandsons Rhëal, Damian, sister Jackie (Aaron) Farmer of Powassan and father Donat Desrochers of North Bay. Catherine will be fondly remembered by her father-in-law Murray Cann of Chesley, sister-in-law Vania Cann, and brother-in-law Rick (Leslie) Cann. She was predeceased by her mother Yvette (Levesque) Desrochers, mother-in-law Audrey (Bailey) Cann and brother-in-law Ron Cann.
Private family services will be held with cremation to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
