Memorial For:  Roxanne Klassen 
Memorial Date: April 15, 2023 
Roxanne Klassen, 67, of Steinbach formerly of Winkler, passed away Friday, March 17th at Bethesda Regional Health Centre. She is survived by her husband Ken and 2 sons. 
Cremation has taken place. 
A memorial service for Roxanne Klassen will be held Saturday, April 15th at 2pm at Steinbach Grace Mennonite Church with ash interment at a later date. 
An opportunity to make a donation to private sponsorship of Ukrainian refugees in Steinbach will be available. 
Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach.  

ROXANNE DAWN BERYL HIEBERT KLASSEN
February 19, 1956 – March 17, 2023

Roxanne Dawn Beryl Hiebert Klassen was born in Winkler on February 19, 1956, and passed away on Friday, March 17, 2023. She spent her happy childhood days in Plum Coulee, went back to Winkler for high school, and obtained her Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba in 1979. She was married to Ken in June 1979 and in September started a 33-year career in education in the Hanover School Division, where she taught music and early years at Southwood, Elmdale and Mitchell School. 

After David and Stefan were born, Roxanne returned to a half-time music position which allowed her to simultaneously pursue her three great passions - motherhood, teaching and music. The last 17 years of her career were in her Grade One classroom, where all her children were cared for, nurtured, instilled with a joy of music and encouraged to be curious and creative. She was a gift to her students and to her teaching colleagues – always going far beyond the call of duty for her most vulnerable students and always eager to support new teachers to the profession.

Roxanne was an accomplished and unique pianist and a self-taught organist. Her love of music and the keyboard started at an early age and continued through high school, her teaching career and as pianist, organist, accompanist and music coordinator in the Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach. When she was known for her deep sensitivity, a strongly passionate rendition, often with quite a bit of volume and a palpable swing.  
 
In the many messages and tributes that poured in for Roxanne, the one constant theme was the thoughtful gifts she had given throughout her life – many of which were still being treasured by family, friends and former students. So many have mentioned how their friendship and interaction with Roxanne influenced them and made them better people. Her final gift to her family was the incredibly peaceful and accepting way in which she chose to spend her remaining time with us. With quiet strength she lived exactly six more weeks with multiple cancers spreading throughout her body. She never once voiced self-pity or anger, only the disappointment that she would not be around to be part of our on-going lives. We counted our blessings that her care at the Bethesda Health Centre in Steinbach was so compassionate and dignified.

Roxanne was predeceased by her parents, Arnold and Helen Hiebert, Ken’s parents, Cornelius and Nettie Klassen, her eldest sister Estelle Warnica, and several in-laws – Lauree Clifford, Leona Giesbrecht, John Giesbrecht, Lisa Bruneteau, Ray Bruneteau, Bernie Klassen, and very recently, Sandra Klassen.

She is survived by her husband Ken, sons David and Stefan, siblings Shirley and John Bestvater, Ruth Hiebert, Bernice Hiebert Klassen and Russ Smythe, Beverly and Walter Wenaas, Cindy Hiebert and Paul Bezilla, Patrick Hiebert and Andrea Martinez, Charlie Clifford, and their families. She is also survived by Ken’s siblings, Jack and Connie Klassen, Glen and Betty Klassen, Alfrieda and Harold Dyck, Ron Klassen and Esther Tennenhouse, Peter and Luella Klassen, Linda and Del Wall, Daniel Klassen and Valerie Palmer, Julia and Ron Dalloo and one sister-in-law, Nettie Klassen (Bernie) and their families.

The memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the Grace Mennonite Church, 430 Third St., Steinbach, MB, with the prelude beginning at 1:10 p.m. The service will be followed by a stand-up reception.

The service will be livestreamed on the Grace Mennonite Steinbach YouTube channel.
 
If desired, flowers may be sent to the Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, MB, on the morning of Saturday, April 15, 2023.