Obituary of Jean Bernadette Dehaan

Jean B. Dehaan May 27, 1929 – August 17, 2020 Jean “Bunny” Dehaan died peacefully of natural causes on August 17, 2020 at the Providence Milwaukie Hospital in Oregon. Her family was with her at the time of her death. Bunny had been suffering from heart failure and respiratory distress. Jean was born in Duluth, Minnesota to Swedish immigrants Morris and Mabel Garden. “Bunny” was the nickname given to Jean by her older brothers since she had light blond hair and looked like a cotton-tailed bunny when she ran about. Bunny was the youngest of eight children, including her brothers Kenilworth, Lloyd, John, Irwin, Donald, Russell, and her sister Morine. In her childhood and youth, Bunny competed in ice skating, played the violin, and roller skated. She attended E.R. Cobb Elementary School and graduated from Central High School in Duluth. Bunny had a beautiful voice, danced, and acted in amateur stage shows. Bunny knew Donald Dehaan through her brothers and they began dating in their teens. Don served in the Navy during WWII, and then he and Bunny were married on May 17th, 1947 at the Woodland Methodist Church in Duluth. At the end of this same year, they moved to Portland, Oregon. As they raised a family and sought better job opportunities, Bunny and Don lived in the Oregon cities of Tigard, Bend, Ashland, Grants Pass, Medford, and Salem. They had three girls, Cynthia, Sandra, and Patrice, and a son, David. In 1969, they moved to California and lived in the cities of Fresno, Saratoga, San Ramon, and Rocklin. A highlight of their adventurous life together was when they lived in Tokyo, Japan from 1979 through 1984 while Don was working for Allstate Insurance. Bunny taught conversational English, and coordinated a youth program at their Tokyo church. In 2012, they moved to Bend, Oregon to be close to their daughter, Patrice. At heart, Bunny was a wife, mother, grandmother, and a homemaker. She was happiest when taking care of Don, hosting family and guests, and keeping a beautifully decorated and immaculate home. At the time of Don’s death in 2014, Don and Bunny had been married more than 67 years. Their marriage was one of love, adoration, and deep appreciation as they credited each other for their successes and blessings. Earlier this year, Bunny moved to Portland, Oregon to be close to her daughter, Sandra. Bunny has three sons-in-law: Gil (Cynthia), Ron (Sandra), and Wayne (Patrice), and a daughter-in-law Grace (David). She has eight grandchildren: Christopher (Julie), David, Scott, Ethan (Carla), Brynn (Shawn), Joshua (Fabienne), Sarah (Eric), and Daniel (Brianna); and five great-grandchildren: Taylor, Cassidy, Alana, Abaye, and Brooklyn. Upon her death, Bunny was gathered into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus. She longed to be reunited with Don and her family, and we believe that she now awaits us. We, her family, have deep gratitude and thank those who loved and cared for Bunny at the Whispering Winds Retirement Community in Bend, Oregon, the Mapleview Manor Residential Care Facility in Portland, Oregon, and the Providence Milwaukie Hospital.