1944 - 2025
Deirdre had an incredible sparkle for life. She was beautiful, funny, kind, thoughtful and wonderfully mischievous.
The queen of fun.
An extraordinarily dedicated mother and grandmother, the time she spent with children was magical. She loved her family, friends, gardening, cooking, music, reading, hiking, biking and exploring. Her life with Martin was filled with adventure, laughs and a whole lot of love.
She died peacefully on July 4, 2025, surrounded by her family in the palliative care unit at the Sechelt Hospital. Deirdre is survived by her husband Martin of 59 years, her children Jeremy (Carley) and Shannon (John) and grandchildren Delphine, Thomson, Jones and Stevie.
Deirdre was born in the UK and came to Canada with her parents, Paddy and Robert Silverthorne, in 1952. She met Martin in high school, and they were married in Streetsville, Ontario, in 1966. They raised their children, worked and celebrated life alongside an incredible community of friends and family in Burlington, Ontario.
The children travelled west for university, which set the stage for Deirdre’s and Martin’s eventual move from Ontario to Sechelt, British Columbia, in 2004. They found their retirement paradise in a house overlooking the ocean at Sargeant Bay on the Sunshine Coast. For 20 years, they soaked in the splendours of west coast living. Each winter, the couple would travel south with their RV to snowbird the winter months away on the lovely beaches and small towns of Mexico.
Deirdre loved Sargeant Bay and would always find a way to take visitors there for a walk to enjoy all the sights and sounds a seashore has to offer. As was her wish, her family will scatter her ashes in the bay in August.
The family will hold a Celebration of her life on Saturday, September 20, from 1 to 4pm at the Glen Abbey golf course in Oakville, Ontario.
