Diann Redden

Mrs. Diann Redden, age 70 years, of Thunder Bay, Ontario passed away peacefully on March 9, 2016 at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She was born on November 19, 1945 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

She is survived by her son, Stephen (Laura) Redden and grandchildren Rachel and Alexandra (Alex) of Chicago, Illinois and daughter; Deborah (Michael) Goodwin and grandchildren Davin and Lyla of Edmonton, Alberta; brothers Terry (Anita) Tennant of Thunder Bay, Dale/Andrew (Julia) Tennant of Vancouver, British Columbia; sister Joan (Ken) Schulz of Kaministiquia (children Alan and Ian); sister Joyce (Fred) Freamo of Thunder Bay (son Shane); brother-in-law Terry (Janice) Redden of Thunder Bay; and brother-in-law Jack (Catherine) Redden of Dublin, Ireland (children Conn, Killian, and Aisling).

She is predeceased by her parents, Clifford and Edna Tennant, and her brother Miles Tennant of Thunder Bay, and her late husband of 32 years, James (Jim) Redden of Wabigoon, Ontario.

She held a variety of roles over the years, demonstrating her adaptability and can-do attitude. She started her career working with the Thunder Bay Board of Education then, after getting married in 1967, she moved to Schefferville, Quebec where she worked with the local school until 1972.

She then moved to Labrador City, Nfld where she held a variety of volunteer positions while spending much of her time with her children. Then in 1982, she moved back to Northwestern Ontario. As a testament to the strength of their marriage, she gave up having running water and electricity to support her husband’s passion on starting up a small mining operation just east of Dryden. In 1985, she settled in Wabigoon for the next 30 years She worked first at the Dryden Chamber of Commerce and then at the Best Western Motor Inn until she retired in 2009.

She then moved back to Thunder Bay in 2014 to be closer to family, very much enjoying her apartment overlooking Boulevard Lake.

Friends and family were extremely important to Diann and she made frequent visits to see her children and grandchildren in Chicago and Edmonton.

She’d often get together with friends – she often said that she had the best and most eclectic group of friends around. She was actively involved in Toastmasters, having held a number of positions over the years, most notably the Area 22 Governor. She was extremely proud to have received the Distinguished Toastmaster designation as recognition for her achievements over the years.
The one word that people most often used to describe Diann was “amazing”.

She was very sincere and well-liked, offering to help anyone in need. She was extremely independent and willing to tackle any task, whether painting the house, changing a tire, flying to other countries to visit family, or volunteering for any number of good causes.

She was meticulous in her planning and extremely organized. Even as her health was worsening, she still found the time to run a petition and get in touch with the City of Thunder Bay to build a bus shelter for the residents of her apartment building. Through her kindness, energy, and sincerity, she truly was an inspiration for many people.

Funeral services for Diann will be held on Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 2:00pm in the Everest Funeral Chapel, 299 Waverly Street, Thunder Bay with Rev. Randy Boyd officiating. Visitation for friends and family will be held one hour prior to service time.
Should friends so desire, donations to the Northern Cancer Fund would be greatly appreciated.