Obituary of Katherine Sophie Bainbridge

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of beloved wife, mother, daughter, and sister, Katherine Sophie Bainbridge née Dreeshen. Katie passed peacefully surrounded by family on Mar. 31^st, 2023.

She is survived by her husband and high school sweetheart of 30 years, Jade Bainbridge; sons: Brycen, Kameron, and Luke; her parents: Cindy (née McPhee) & Tom Last, Russell & Jody Dreeshen, and Ron Woolf; her in-laws Denise & Martin Beijersbergen, Bob & Terri Bainbridge; grandparents in-law Don and Pauline Bainbridge; her siblings: Pamela (Stephen) McQuaig, Annette (Greg) Delmage, and Vicki (Chris) Grant; her step-siblings: Cody Andison, Shannon Andison, Keith Last, Lauren Last and Lindie Last; her siblings-in-law: Paul (Tobi) Bainbridge, Roechelle Ballantyne, Derek Ballantyne, Terry Beijersbergen, and Maria Sprenger; nieces and nephews: Gwendolyn Reilly, Eloise Delmage, Thomas Andison, Leah Bartlett, and Miranda Bainbridge; as well as many other relatives and dear friends.

Born on Mar. 25^th, 1978, in Red Deer, Alberta, Katie lived in the area for several years before moving with family to Calgary in 1983, and subsequently Hinton in 1987. It is there where she met and fell in love with Jade. They started their life together as a married couple on July 13^th, 1996, moving to Blackfalds in time to welcome their first-born son, Brycen, in the winter of 1997. Several years later, after the birth of their second son, Kameron, the family moved to Botha, where Katie began her work as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant at Stettler Elementary School. Katie’s passion for kids and their development was an inspiration in the community as she continued to volunteer for various organizations. With her kids attending school in Stettler and her already active involvement in the community, the family inevitably moved there after the birth of their third son, Luke. Katie spent many years in various positions within the Stettler Minor Hockey Association, she helped bring Lacrosse into the town, and later, as her boys grew up, was instrumental in supporting the local Minor Football teams.

Katie was a true entrepreneur, helping support Jade and Jim Anderson as a co-owner of both the Stettler and Red Deer OK Tire stores. With her passion for fitness, Katie frequented Thrive 360 in Stettler then joined Robyn Speakman-Schwartz as a co-owner of the gym after becoming certified as a Personal Trainer. Katie advocated for small businesses in Stettler for years before joining local MLA Nate Horner’s team to help support his constituents. Her interest in and aptitude for politics was just beginning to flourish when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.

Katie will be remembered as a pillar of her community, bringing so much inspiration to those around her with her tremendous grace and positive outlook on life. She was a welcoming and calming presence, making everyone she met feel comfortable and accepted. Katie continued to learn and grow throughout her life. She was passionate about healthy living and was thoroughly devoted to her family. Her strength and compassion touched everyone she knew and will continue to live on through all who knew her. Her loss will be deeply felt by the multitude of friends and family left behind.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Stettler Community Centre, Stettler, Alberta on Wednesday, April 5^th at 2:00pm. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stettler Food Bank (Box 1492, Stettler, Alberta T0C 2L0).