Darlene Margaret Schuurmans

To Darlene Margaret Schuurmans, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Darlene, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Darlene really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Her parents were Estile and Dorothy Frances Perry. Darlene was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even as a child, Darlene had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Darlene was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Darlene managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Darlene was raised with six siblings one brother and five sisters. They were Jimmy, Dottie, Carol, Mickey, Christine, and Joanne.

All of Darlene's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Darlene experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in baseball. She was a member of her local community center. Darlene's memorable achievements included Darlene and two of her friends entered the community center talent contest. She sang as Dianna Ross of the Supremes, the song was stop in the name of love,aunt Marie made them matching dresses and won the contest at 12 & 13 years old.

Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Darlene was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Darlene simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Darlene, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Darlene's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Darlene graduated from Western Hills High School in 1973. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.

Darlene never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Darlene to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Darlene delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Darlene was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Darlene utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. Later in life, she became friends with Mary Rozatti and Loni Sayad. Darlene loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Darlene very easy to approach. On March 29, 1986 Darlene exchanged wedding vows with Rudolf Schuurmans at Alpine Village Chapel of Torrance, California. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Darlene related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Darlene was blessed with four children, one daughter Katrina, and three sons Andre, Mikail, and Brenton. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Brittany, Deter, Ockie, Natalie, Christian. Darlene had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Darlene's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Darlene had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Darlene was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Darlene liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Darlene was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Darlene's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Darlene as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was optometry (eye technician). She was employed for 12 years by Frank Terranova.

Darlene enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Darlene liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were reading. Darlene was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Darlene felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Darlene loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Darlene relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Darlene never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included racket ball. Darlene was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Darlene recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of Crossroads and New Beginnings churches for 15 years. During that time, she would attend church weekly.

Darlene was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Darlene's favorites was" Xena" a german shepard. They were best friends for 13 years. Her family was rounded out by her pet Pepie.

Darlene passed away on January 5, 2011 at Kaiser Hospital in Anaheim, California. She fought a brave fight against Mac (Micro Bacterial Avium Complex). She is survived by her loving husband Rudy, her children Katrina, Andre, Mikail, and Brenton also her grandchildren Brittany, Deter, Ockie, Natalie, and Christian. Services were held at Crestlawn Memorial Chapel in Riverside California. Darlene was laid to rest in Crestlawn Memorial Park

Darlene brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Darlene Margaret Schuurmans lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.