Darren Grandberg

 Darren Kent GRANDBERG

October 4, 1966 – Feb 28, 2021

With great sadness we announce the death of Darren, our son, brother, father, nephew, uncle, partner and friend.

Darren attended Queen Elizabeth and Thornton Elementary Schools, moving on to Nutana Collegiate with some time spent at Walter Murray Collegiate.  In his younger years, he was very active in sports, notably hockey and baseball, as well as putting us all to shame at waterskiing. He had boundless energy and would spend hours out running around with friends, or spend the entire day at the rink playing shinny except to come home to eat.

Darren was funny and smart and always up to something.  He was very curious about how things worked and could often be found taking things apart and putting them back together again.  This could be seen in his passion for motorcycles and Darren could often be found tinkering on his bike, when he wasn’t booting around town or on a road trip.  He also took pride in some very old trucks that he owned at different points with plans to fix them up.

He could also be stubborn, which in his middle and teen years often got him into trouble with authority figures, but to most he was known for his quick smile.  He loved to goof around and was always quick to laugh at himself and others. His stubbornness also showed in his determination when it came to things he was passionate about.  When he set his mind to something, there was generally no deterring him. 

Darren worked at a number of restaurants around Saskatoon, and developed a love for cooking.  Most memorable was the time he spent working at Buds on Broadway.  Buds was more than just a job to him; Darren lived for Buds, and it became a second home and family to him.  He was well respected there - everyone knew him and he always had a smile on his face when he met you at the door. Darren loved music and he became close with many of the artists that came through town.  He would often invite them back to his place for a meal or a party.  Darren also drove truck for many years both when he was still living in Saskatoon and when he moved out to BC.  He enjoyed spending time on the road.

Darren loved animals, particularly dogs, and he always had one as his constant companion, and sometimes there could be a house-full, even down to having a pot belly pig for a pet for a number of years.

Darren was kind hearted, easy going and generally content with what he had.   He cared about people and treated them with respect, and was happiest when around friends and family.  He loved his son, Jason, and many pictures attest to the joy that he brought into his life.  Darren will be remembered for the twinkle in his eye, his infectious personality and smile, as well as his big heart.

Darren struggled with addictions for many years.  Most recently he had been clean since September, he was working on getting his license and was making plans to move back to Saskatchewan to be around to help Mom and Dad out as they got older.  His heart was still for his family.  Unfortunately, despite a desire to break free of it, the addictions got the better of him and we received the heartbreaking news that he was gone.

Darren will be missed by his parents Ken & Peggy; his son Jason (and mother Melinda); his siblings Colin, Wendy, Kevin, Glenna, and Maggie; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; his many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins; as well as many friends from his years growing up in Saskatoon and from the Abbotsford area where he lived the last 20+ years of his life, and by his dog Sadie.

Darren was predeceased by his grandparents, his sister Mary, his nephew Cody, and his brother Mark.

Thank you to the Abbotsford Salvation Army Centre of Hope and the Abbotsford Lookout Outreach Team for their support of Darren over these last years in his struggle with addictions.

Memorial Service to be held on Aug 1, 2021 at 1:30pm at Zion Lutheran Church. More information can be found at https://fb.me/e/UebpJnJQ

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Abbotsford Salvation Army Centre of Hope http://www.centreofhope.net/ or to the Abbotsford Lookout Outreach Team https://lookoutsociety.ca/