Dennis Coppens
On Wednesday, August 17, 2022, surrounded by his boys he adored and held by his wife and best friend Teresa, Dennis lost his battle with cancer at the age of 63. He will forever be remembered as a loving father by his sons Connor (Veronique), Jarod (Michelle) and Kieran. He is also survived by a loving family of brothers and sisters, Ingrid (Hans Esser), Rene (Cathy), Robert (Elaine) and Mary Anne (Bill Liggins) and many nieces and nephews. Dennis was predeceased by his father Leo (2011) and his mother Ria (2018).
He worked for Ontario Power Generation, for most of his career at Darlington nuclear plant. His time there spanned over 30 years and boy did he love describing at length what he did for a living. He loved fast cars and still has the 1979 Trans Am he was hoping to restore during retirement. Every time a cool car passed by, he could tell you the make, model and year without hesitation.
He never let his job stop him from spending quality time with his boys. Every year starting when Connor was four, he coached at least one soccer team. When Connor started softball, he coached him there as well. When Kieran started softball, he had the privilege of coaching him as well as helping the team win the championship that year. Dennis was fair to a fault when coaching any sport making sure every player got a chance on the field no matter their ability. After these sports ran their course, Dennis participated in Kieran’s rep football team, the Peterborough Wolverines, keeping track of game stats.
Dennis grew up in Sarnia, Ontario on a heavily treed 10-acre property. His dad taught him the fine art of cutting down tall trees, a skill he was able to pass on to his oldest son Connor.
Dennis was known for being kind and generous and always had a smile for everyone. His compassion will be greatly missed.
As per Dennis’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A celebration of his life will happen at a later date.
In memory of Dennis, donations can made to the Princess Margaret Foundation (thepmcf.ca/donate). Dennis’s oncologist Dr. Sridhar and her team took excellent care of both of us. It is an amazing place to receive cancer care and is a treasure worthy of support.
Andrew Jeffery
Dennis was a great mentor, colleague, and peer. I learned a lot from Dennis and enjoyed his friendship. Dennis was actively involved in his family and freely shared his experiences. I enjoyed sharing my family with Dennis and vice versa. If you needed someone to count on or needed help in a pinch, Dennis was there to support. Teresa, I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you and the boys are going through. I continue to celebrate the great moments with Dennis and I am thankful for the opportunity to have met you, Dennis, and the rest of the family.
Teresa
Andrew thankyou. This means so much to our family! He spoke of you often. Take good care of your family!
Sandra and Rachel Sabourin
Our thoughts and prayers are going out to you MaryAnn and your family
Fam.steenman
Lieve familie ,
Dat is erg verdrietig en veel te jong!! Heel veel liefde en kracht voor jullie in deze moeilijke tijd.
John en Jolanda, Romy Kylian steenman
Terry Donkers
Teresa and boys, so sorry for your loss. Terry & Sheri Donkers
Peter Kuijpers
My condolences and wish you all the strength in the future!
Minnie Ann Piercey
Dear Teresa and Family,
My heart breaks for you . You’re in my thoughts and prayers. So glad I had the opportunity to see you last year. I will always remember his smile and his kindness. Lots of love and hugs .
Teresa
Thank you Minnie. I’m happy also we made the trip to see you. I hope to see you soon again.
Mary kammerer
I have never met anyone of you except for Ingrid. I find this so sad.we know it is hard because we also lost a brother to this same cancer. Your loss is just not fair. My prayers are with all of you. Maybe our Joe will meet up in Heaven. Again so sorry. 🙏😢❤️
David Simms
I really liked Dennis. We worked together at Ontario Hydro Head Office and at Darlington. He was always so calm and soft spoken, except when talking about Mike Harris. He loved his wife and sons. He loved science, whether it was fuelling reactors or figuring out if he could run his truck on used cooking oil. He even loved his chickens, keeping them as pets long after their egg laying days were over. I’ll miss him and I’m glad I knew him.