Obituary of Berendina "Dinny" (van der Pol) Gauvreau

1942 - 2023

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved mother Dinny. Dinny reached the end of life’s journey on February 26, 2023, at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital.

Dinny is survived by her son, Alain Gauvreau (Stacey); daughter, Nicole Vautour (Richard); grandsons, Andrew and Jesse Gauvreau (Kim); granddaughters, Natasha (Tyler), Andrea Vautour and Tessa Gauvreau; great-granddaughter, Hydee Vautour-Doucette. Dinny’s beloved cats were Dexter, Indigo, and Youppi. We cannot forget about “Bird”. Dinny was predeceased by her husband, Jean Claude Gauvreau; parents, Willen. H. van der Pol and Wellomina M. Jansen; and sister, Lena A. van der Pol.

Berendina was born in Enschede, Holland. Dinny met Jean Claude while he was stationed overseas with the Canadian Armed Forces. They married in Enschede, Holland, and then relocated to Canada in 1965. They moved to a few different locations within Canada, finally settling down in Oromocto, New Brunswick. Dinny enjoyed being the stay-at-home mom until her love of animals brought her to volunteer her services at the animal shelters. She loved making homemade cat toys for the Fredericton SPCA.

Dinny was an avid gardener, she had beautiful gardens surrounding their home in Oromocto West. Her property exploded with colourful flowers that she lovingly catered to. She also enjoyed watching all the birds that would visit her for the good treats that she made for them. She was especially fond of the hummingbirds.

Dinny always looked forward to her weekly chats with Manna Elbert. They were the highlight of her week.

We would like to say a special thank you to Shianne, Susan, and Tammy for the wonderful care and companionship that you all provided to our mother at her home.

We would also like to thank all the staff from the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, especially the two amazing nurses Julie and Amie, who took exceptional care of our mother.

There will be no visitation or funeral services as per request by Dinny. For those who wish, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Fredericton SPCA.