Dianne Helen Small (nee Mathieson)

A beloved wife, mother, soulmate and friend, Dianne passed away in the loving arms of her husband Bill on December 16, 2024, in Victoria, BC. Dianne led a remarkable life of 55 years, marked by her ability to truly connect with anyone whose life path crossed with hers.

Dianne was born on May 31, 1969 in Revelstoke, BC as the older of two children in the Mathieson home. Growing up as an active, athletic young woman in Maple Ridge, BC, Dianne was a competitive swimmer for many years, with highland dancing, figure skating, field hockey and distance running as her other sports of choice. But it was her focus on the importance of family connection that truly shaped who Dianne would be throughout her life.

After graduating from Maple Ridge Senior Secondary, Dianne pursued undergraduate Criminology studies at Simon Fraser University, completing her BA in 1991. After celebrating her achievements with an extended backpacking trip through vast areas of Europe and parts of northern Africa, Dianne set out to pursue a career focused on helping and supporting others.

In 1994 Dianne became a probation officer and family court counsellor in White Rock, BC. It was there that she met a charming coworker, Bill, who would quickly become her best friend and life partner for the next 30 years. Dianne and Bill’s love story was, first and foremost, about nurturing and celebrating their powerful connection. They declared themselves “best friends and lovers eternal” early on, and they would live that every day of their more than three decades as a couple.

The following year, in August 1995, Dianne and Bill married, overlooking the ocean by Jericho Beach in Vancouver, BC. Dianne’s connection to the power of water, with the rhythm of its movement and power of its tides, would endure for her entire life.

In late 1998 the couple welcomed their first son, Aiden, and two and half years later, Keegan was born in early 2001, completing the family that would be the centre of Dianne’s universe for the rest of her life. A loving and doting mother, Dianne embraced being a “momma bear” who loved her sons with all of her heart; she set out to make the world a better place by raising them with unconditional love and continual curiosity about the world around them.

After many adventures together living in communities in central and northern BC, in 2011 Dianne, Bill, Aiden and Keegan relocated their forever home, with a view out to the Salish Sea and easy walking access to the oceanside in Colwood, BC.  Just as it did on their wedding day, the power of the ocean drew Dianne to this place, and it served as a spiritual anchor throughout her life.

Embracing her new community and the people in it, Dianne supported her sons as they explored the world around them with the same curiosity and competitive spirit as their mother. Innumerable hours at the hockey rink, watching both boys grow up with skates on, would follow.

Throughout this time, Dianne’s dedication to helping others would feature prominently in her 30-year career. Transitioning from her role as a probation officer, Dianne underwent several career changes, as the family moved, all focussed on public safety and assisting vulnerable people. For the last several years, she was the Director of Security Screening with BC’s Security Programs Division. Throughout her 30-year career, Dianne led others with compassion, integrity and courage, inspiring the people she led and supported throughout her career.

In 2016 Dianne faced a devastating diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. As with everything she did in life, she approached this news with unfathomable poise and courage. Dianne regarded her diagnosis as a call to live her life to its fullest every day, and her friends and family shared this journey with her, with genuine gratitude for the gifts each day together offered us.

Dianne shared the transformative experience of living with cancer with friends and colleagues, several of whom joined her in this difficult path. In this way, she inspired many others to face life’s adversities with positivity and optimism. All who knew Dianne found strength and comfort in the unimaginable power of her spirit.

In 2019, with the support of her local hockey community, Dianne founded “Play for the Cure,” an annual Victoria Westshore hockey fundraising event in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. Over the years Play for the Cure has raised tens of thousands of dollars, directed to services to improve the quality of life for people undergoing cancer treatment. Play for the Cure was a legacy of which Dianne was immensely proud.

With everything she accomplished in her life, Dianne would always say that she wanted to make her mark in this world as a mother who was devoted to her family, and she was never happier than when spending time with those with whom she was closest. That is precisely how she will be forever remembered by her best friend and lover eternal, Bill, and their two devoted sons, Aiden and Keegan, along with countless friends and extended family. She asked that when you encounter a dragonfly in your journeys from this day forward, please remember that she is still with you.

A service and celebration of Dianne’s life will be held on Monday, December 30, 2024 at 2pm in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC.  Livestreaming is available on the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85609497161?pwd=TekVSwxldrVaz342oygyoAzYVTtwpd.1

Dianne asked that you be invited to join her in singing along with her to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” when it is played during this celebration of her amazing life.

In lieu of flowers, Dianne asked that friends instead consider a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation in her memory https://bccancerfoundation.com/

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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