It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Dean Akio Okamura. Dean was born on July 12, 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He passed away on October 18, 2020 in Vancouver, BC following a courageous battle with cancer.
Dean will be lovingly remembered by his mother (Jean Sachiko Okamura), sister Janice (Scott), brothers Jeff (Susan), Wayne (Annette), Derek (Joyce). He was preceded by his father (Yukio).
Dean’s greatest joy in life was spending time with his 5 nieces (Sachi, Natalee, Kaori, Nicola, Kaida) and 5 nephews (Ryan, Erik, Liam, Nolan, Logan). He would spend countless time with the kids at their school activities, sports, and family events. He was a kind and gentle soul whose legacy in life was his devotion to helping his family and friends.
Dean overcame many obstacles in his lifetime but never complained. He was a humble man who just kept moving forward with a smile on his face. When he was not busy helping others, he enjoyed playing hockey, fishing, prawning, and crabbing. He loved watching both the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets. Dean was also famous for playing online poker. Friends from all over the world would lineup to play poker with “Bucky”.
Dean always enjoyed travel. He traveled throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, and Mexico. But his favourite place in the world was always Hawaii where he could “Live Aloha” and spend time with family.
Our family wishes to send thanks to the GF Strong palliative care team. A private family service will be held at this time due to Covid restrictions. A Celebration of Life for Dean will be held in future. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
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