A musical Celebration of Awna's Life was held on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at Plura Hills United Church, 2090 Pacific Way, Kamloops, BC.

                   Rev. Barbara Samuel from the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, officiated.                     Many thanks to everyone; you made this wonderful tribute possible. 

 In lieu of flowers, donations in Awna's memory can be made to the Kamloops Music Collective, a non-profit organization which provides young musicians opportunities to learn, play and perform music through a variety of programs and mentorship.  Donations to the Kamloops Music Collective can be made at https://www.kamloopsmusiccollective.info/

Awna (Anno) de Haan passed away at 5:40 pm on November 1, 2018, at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, BC.  He made his transition surrounded by family, friends, and music, after a battle with cancer.  Awna will be dearly missed by his loving partner Colleen and a vibrant and supportive community of family, friends, and musicians in Kamloops, the Fraser Valley, Ontario, Saskatchewan, USA and beyond.  He is survived by his partner, Colleen Nielsen, his six children, Jeff de Haan (Tammy) and granddaughter Chelsea de Haan, Shana Salas (Geo) and grandchildren Tiara de Haan and Espen Salas, Kam de Haan, Josh de Haan, Kaylee de Haan, and Kaden de Haan; his 4 stepchildren Melissa Nielsen, Eric Nielsen (Sam), Charlotte Bylsma (Troy), and their 6 children, Jessica, Jasmine, Jenna, Joel, Justus, & Jaxon, and Kristina Benson. He is also survived by his six siblings, Sid de Haan (Frieda) in Abbotsford, BC, Carmen Johnson (Bob), Shadde de Haan (Dianne), Betty Van de Kemp (Tim), Janna de Haan, Pearl Verstoep (Hugh), all in Ontario, as well as many wonderful nieces and nephews.   He was predeceased by his parents, Casey de Haan in 1979 and Wilma de Haan in 2016.

Awna was born in Schraard, Friesland, Netherlands, on January 23, 1946, and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1948 when he was two years old.  His family settled in Blythe, Ontario, where he enjoyed his childhood growing up on the farm.  The de Haan family moved to Langley, BC in 1957 when Awna was 11 which was another great adventure for him.   In 1961 the de Haan family returned to the east and purchased a farm in Trowbridge, Ontario.  Awna finished high school in Listowel, Ontario.  Moving to London, Ontario, Awna spent many hours at the Roller Rink and became a competitive dancer on roller skates!  He and his friends entered many competitions both in Ontario and northeastern US.  Awna moved back to BC as a young adult and with Diane de Haan raised his family in Abbotsford and Chilliwack.  

Awna moved to Kamloops in 2000 and has made many friends and has shared his love of music and enriched the many lives he touched.   Awna was a talented musician, playing guitar from his teens and discovering the ukulele on a trip he and Colleen took to Hawaii in 2010.  The ukulele was such fun, he wanted to share it, and with Colleen, was a founding member of the Ukulele Orchestra of Kamloops in 2012.  The UOK now has 75 members and holds the Annual Kamloops Summer Ukulele Festival which hosts 160 ukulele enthusiasts and has brought in wonderful musicians and instructors from Canada, USA and Australia.  Awna led the team that looked after providing sound for the 2 large concerts at the Festival.   During the past 6 years with UOK he led many a uke jam and circle.  He played his ukulele every day and was always innovating and learning new chords up the neck, new techniques and improving his playing.  Awna was the Music Director at the Centre for Spiritual Living - Kamloops for a number of years.  Joined by 3 others, they formed the house band Heartbeat, in which Awna played Guitar, Colleen played Ukulele,  Rheal Bosse played drums with Pam Jones and all band members providing vocals.  During the last several years, he and Colleen have frequented music festivals and events around the province, such as (of course) the Kamloops Summer Ukulele Festival held at Sorrento Centre, the Sweet Adelines Competition in Surrey, the Vancouver Ukulele Festival, the annual Elvis Festival in Penticton, and the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival.  Awna also had a lifelong love of tractors and in August 2018 he and Colleen attended the Antique Tractor Show in Lynden, WA where he was in his element seeing all the old tractors. He could name each make and model and had a story to tell about each!   Awna had a unique sense of humour and would brighten the day of anyone who crossed his path.  He was always making friends and had a large group of close friends in Kamloops who will dearly miss him.  He dearly loved his family, friends, music, golf, tractors (with a special spot for John Deere tractors), and travelling.  Awna was a kind, gentle, very capable and talented man, always loving, loyal and supportive of the endeavours and interests of his family and friends.  

Awna worked as a long-haul truck driver for many years, both as an employee and an owner/operator, driving all over Canada and the US.  For the last 10 years Awna worked for Columbia Transport Training at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, as a Class 1 Driving Instructor and Air Brakes Instructor until his retirement in January 2018.  He loved his work and was a patient and thorough teacher, whether teaching driving or ukulele!   

Many thanks to the wonderful staff of nurses and care aides at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.  The care, compassion and respect you provided to Awna during his final journey is so much appreciated and will never be forgotten.