Obituary of Denise Van Herk
It is with great sadness we announce that Denise Van Herk (62) passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on February 28th. Denise was loved beyond belief, and will remain the best wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend. She will be fondly remembered for her positivity and love of life, ability to remember birthdays, beautiful singing voice, and her talent of telling the simplest story in the most entertaining way. She retired from Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in 2013, and her joys in retirement included travelling, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, and singing as a member of Big Soul Project choir.
A resident of Orléans, Ontario, Denise grew up in Lively, Ontario. She was the daughter of Larry (died 2009) and Lucille (nee Ranger) Coderre (died 2007). She is survived by her husband of 32 years, Michael; her daughters Elyse (Alex) and Michelle; her siblings Lorraine Baldisera (Mark) of Sudbury, Michelle Munroe (David) of Elliot Lake, Gerry Coderre (Diane) of St. Catharines, Nicole Hoy (Brent) of Wellington, New Zealand, and Rochelle Hatton (Brent) of Lively. Sister-in-law to Gerald Van Herk (Barbara) and Rosemary Auger (Leonard) She was an Aunt to Matthew, Michael, Katie, Victoria, Alexander, Wesley, Melissa, Eric, Curtis, Carolyn, Stephanie, Matthew and Elizabeth; and a Great Aunt to Douglas.
Many thanks to Dr. Goel, Kathy, and all the other nurses at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center. Special thanks to Dr. Coulombe, and the nurses at Carefor and At-Home Hospice who cared for Denise and brought her family much comfort in her last days.
Visitation will be Sunday, March 4th from 12 pm to 2:00 pm, and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Heritage Funeral Complex, 1250 Trim Road, Orléans. A celebration of life will follow at 7:30 pm, in the same location. A Catholic funeral mass and reception will be held the following morning at Divine Infant Parish, 6658 Bilberry Drive, Orleans at 11:00 am on Monday, March 5th. Please join us for any or all of these services. Private interment will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity (National Capital Region) or Hospice Care Ottawa would be greatly appreciated. Condolences may be made through Heritage Funeral Home at www.heritagefh.ca, (613) 830-2305.
