It is with great sadness we share the passing of Jack Vernon Derochie, of Claresholm, who has died at the age of 94.
Jack was born at home west of Stavely in 1929 to Jack & Thelma Derochie, the second of four children. He grew up in the community and attended school in Claresholm and Stavely. His early years were filled with the outdoors and his love of animals, especially his dogs and horses.
At 18 years of age, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy to explore the world; he had many adventures starting at Royal Roads, Victoria and then sailing all over the Pacific to Fiji, Easter Island, Hawaii and many more destinations. In 1951, their ship was summoned to help in the Korean War after a Canadian warship needed assistance. The Navy experiences and adventures helped prepare him as a young man for future endeavours and challenges.
Jack married the love of his life, Marjorie Bauer, in 1952 and left the Navy soon after for a life of farming and ranching. He started out working on different farms/ranches and eventually bought his own land, his favourite being the ranch on Lyndon Creek, west of Claresholm, known as the Conrad ranch. He was a ‘doer’, a force of nature, always working hard to improve the life of his family and others. Jack’s greatest joy was his family and they raised their three children, Sherry, Stuart & Patti in the country lifestyle. Horses, cattle, the rolling hills, hunting, fishing – he loved it all!
After Jack & Marj moved to their home outside of Claresholm, he still needed the ranching life. They bought a ranch at Willow Valley in the Livingston Mountain range. It was rugged, beautiful country full of deer, elk, grizzly bears and cougars – no wonder Marj was a bit nervous when the family went on their long horseback rides!
Jack believed in giving back to the community and was a member of the Claresholm Lion’s Club for close to 40 years. We remember almost every weekend in the summer, he and his fellow Lions ( and wives) would cater for weddings and other events – the beef was cooked in the big outdoor BBQs and was so delicious! It wasn’t all work and no play – there were also some pretty fun Lions Halloween parties at the Derochie house!
Jack was also a member in Peace Lutheran Church, holding many council positions throughout the years. Many family weddings, baptisms and celebrations of life were held inside those walls. He had old fashioned values and was a man of his word, kind and generous.
Jack adored his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He always said they were the “icing on the cake” in life. He was an amazing storyteller and the grandkids were always captivated by the stories of his many adventures. They all have ‘Grandpa Jackisms’ that they will carry in their hearts.
He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Marj Derochie, children: Sheryl, Stuart (Brenda), Patti (Rob); grandchildren: Ryan (Jaimee), Layne (Matt), Stacy (Nick), Josh (Lesley), Brett, and Jayme (Brad). He has 10 great grandchildren and one more on the way.
The Derochie family would like to give special thanks to Pastor Donna Alm, Dr. Jones and the staff at the Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre. Jack was at there for only a short time but the compassionate care he received from all the staff was wonderful – we are so lucky to have this facility in our community.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Peace Lutheran Church – on January 20, 2024 at 1:00 PM.
Cremation Entrusted to Zentner Funeral Homes.