Obituary of Robert John "Bob" Coenders

Bob was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on September 7, 1939. He was raised on a farm by his parents, Hubert & Elizabeth Coenders. He was the eldest of four children, Gloria, Carol and his brother Ron. He moved out to Southern BC, fell in love with Sonja, and had one son, Dan. They heard about booming Fort St. John and moved up here around 1978. Bob worked as a mechanic and loved his cars. He loved living up here because of all the hunting, quadding, boating and camping he could do with Sonja and Dan by his side. Dan and Jolene met in 1998 and she became part of the family. Over the years, there were many joys. One of those joys arrived August 7, 2007, their grandson Joshua. Bob was a kid again around Joshua. He was found on the toboggan hill, the trampoline, and on a tube behind the boat. With the joys come the sorrows and Bob and Sonja battled many illnesses. Bob's friends and family were there to help him when Sonja passed away on January 29, 2013. Many people took care of him, visited with him and got him to live life again. His sister Gloria, daughter Connie, and sister in law Diane stayed in contact through phone calls and emails. He even found someone to share his life with again. Heather Beaulieu and Bob connected and found happiness together. He appreciated all of you very much. He was very proud of Dan who was by his side through it all. They talked on the phone every day, as father and son and as best friends. Bob was a private man, gruff on the outside and a teddy bear on the inside. He was a hard worker who loved his family, his friends, his dogs, and a good laugh. Bob had complications after surgery and we said good bye to a great man on July 30, 2014. He will be greatly missed. Bob is survived by his sisters Gloria, Carol and brother Ron; three daughters, from a previous marriage, Connie, Kelly and Jenny; grandsons Curtis, Nathan and Mason and granddaughter Michelle; great grandsons Bronx and Titan; his son Dan & daughter in law Jolene and grandson Joshua. Service 1:00 pm Monday, August 11, 2014 Bergeron Funeral Services & Crematorium Ltd. 10200 - 17th street DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia, Canada V1G4C2