Dedar Singh Sihota Obituary (1924 - 2022)

Dedar Sihota passed away peacefully with his family by his side on October 8, 2022 at the impressive age of 98. Dee was born in the Punjab region of India on February 9, 1924, and came to Victoria, BC in 1936 at the age of twelve. Back in India he had attended the village school, but once in Canada he had to start school in grade 1 because he did not speak English. However, he advanced quickly and was able to enroll in grade 4 the following year. After attending the first few years of high school in Duncan, he eventually completed grade 12 at Victoria High. Many of his friends discouraged Dee from pursuing post-secondary education, saying he would simply end up working in a mill due to his Indian ancestry. However, one particular teacher encouraged Dee at school and treated him with kindness. This teacher played a significant role in Dee's enjoyment of school and was instrumental in Dee's decision to continue his education. After taking a year off to work in the lumber mills in order to earn enough money to attend university, Dee attended UBC where he earned a BA in Economics, Psychology and History in 1949. It was at UBC that he met his future wife and the love of his life, Joyce Moll, and they married in 1948. It was Joyce who encouraged Dee to obtain his teaching certificate at the Vancouver Normal School. Dee went on to become the first Indo-Canadian teacher in BC. Dee and Joyce eventually had seven children, six boys and one girl. They settled in South Surrey where they bought a ten-acre parcel of land. There they raised their family, building a loving home and developing and operating a 9-hole golf course on the ten acres. During this time Dee also enjoyed a long and successful career as a teacher, counsellor, vice-principal, and principal. While he began his teaching career in Vancouver the majority of his career was in Surrey. He was the sort of teacher who made a deep impression on his students. In fact, many of Dee's students continued to visit him faithfully throughout his retirement years, visiting him most recently only two weeks before he passed away. When Dee retired in 1986, he focused on a lifelong dream of being a farmer. Joyce and Dee bought land in Matsqui, which they operated successfully as a blueberry farm for 20 years with their son Jan. During their later years, Dee and Joyce travelled the world extensively, often with their children and grandchildren. Dee also gave back to his community by being involved in many different organizations. He was the commissioner of Parks and Recreation for Surrey, and he was on the board of several agricultural organizations, such as the Provincial Marketing Board, the Farm Practices Board, the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association and the Matsqui Dyking and Drainage Committee. Dee was able to overcome many barriers in life to achieve an education and a successful career, allowing him to support his large family. Along the way, he helped many people, too numerous to count. As a child in the mills, he translated English for those who only read Punjabi; in his twenties, he assisted underprivileged children at Camp Alexandra in Crescent Beach, eventually running the camp with his wife Joyce. Of course, as a teacher he was a great support for his students, encouraging them to achieve their dreams. He also counselled troubled school children in his job as a special counsellor. Finally, as a family man, he helped his extended family transition to Canada and encouraged his own children to excel. Dee was extremely intelligent, kind, generous and fair and he took great pride in his family. He loved a lively debate which he often precipitated just to engage with his many children. His bright mind and giving character will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Dee lived a long and happy life and leaves a large legacy. He is survived by his six living children, Paul (Kenzie), Jan, Kim (Kathy), Karen, Don (Denis), Chris (Cal), his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Dial Kaur Gosal (nee Sihota) and sister-in-law Dorothy Gurney (nee Brown). Dee was pre-deceased by his loving wife Joyce, with whom he spent 68 wonderful years, and by his beloved son Darshan.