June 25, 1930 - June 11, 2023
Derek Laurence Page passed away peacefully on June 11, 2023 at the age of 92 years and 351 days.
Derek was born June 25, 1930 in Didsbury, Alberta, the fourth of 5 sons and one daughter born to Eli and Dorothy Page. He grew up on the farm east of Didsbury and received his education at Burnside School. Derek continued to help on the farm, eventually taking over the home place which became Rainbow Valley Ranch. He also spent some time working in Calgary doing construction.
In 1958 he married Inez Kleven and they enjoyed a honeymoon trip across Canada and the U.S. Two children were born, Dan in 1960 and Conny in 1961. Many good, busy years on the farm followed, Derek loved farming, horses, nature, hunting. He served many years with FCC, Unifarm, Neapolis and Linden Co-op’s as well as a local farm Machinery Co-operative, always looking to improve farming in Alberta.
A special family trip was spent traveling to Europe and England to visit friends and extended family. Derek also spent many years serving on the Alberta Mental Health Review Panels, the Dependent Adult Committee, on the board of the Alberta Hospital in Ponoka and with Citizens Advisory Council Bowden. He found this work very interesting and was well respected for his wise and thoughtful counsel.
In 1989 Derek moved to Didsbury where he spent the next 35 years with Ruth Jepson. They had many happy years, traveling and visiting family and friends. As Derek’s eyesight and health declined, Ruth took good care of him until her passing in February of 2022. At that point Derek moved to Linden Lodge which was a tough adjustment but came to be his home and he enjoyed his last days living there.
He was proud of his children, 10 grandchildren, and 40 great-grandchildren, joining in on the fun whether it was a bouncy castle or getting down and playing with them even when it wasn’t so easy to get back up! Derek is survived by his sister, Mary (Page) Devolin, his children Dan (Debbie) and family and Conny (Ernie) Neufeld and family.
A special thank you to the doctors and nurses at Three Hills Health Centre, Didsbury and Three Hills Home Care and the Linden Lodge for all their care and support in the past few years. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Heart & Stroke or to the Linden Lodge. Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., Olds entrusted with arrangements. Condolences may be made or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com.
