Dean was the fourth child of Bill and Rose Wachell. He is survived by his son, Curt Whachell.

Quite unexpectedly my big brother Dean Whachell passed away on March 18, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta at Norwood Care Centre. He was a warrior and put up a good fight living with ALS for almost 15 years.

My big sister, Allynne was able to spend time with him on his last day. She has been stalwart in her advocacy for him, and stood in faith during the most trying of times knowing that God would protect our brother. For years, her husband John, morning and night faithfully checked in on Dean through an app on his phone from here in BC, and they would pray for him daily.

The technology was Dean’s idea. He had such a strong will to live and saw the demise of friends in care with him. He rigged his room with cameras, and anyone with the right app could look in on him. The software also recorded everything... Dean couldn’t talk, but he wanted the staff to know he was watching them.

There were many times he was told he was taking up space or resources, but he kept fighting on. Around 2016 he felt very threatened, as the staff and management were becoming worried about him motoring around the streets in his wheelchair that he operated with his neck and face muscles. He became angry when they said he could no longer go out unattended. I told him to channel that anger, to write his story. Dean was able to write his ALS story from its beginning to 2016. A long tale of each transition through the Alberta Home Health support system, or lack thereof, hospital stays, to his final home.

*Out for a walk in Edmonton with my sister Allynne on a beautiful fall day.*

Dean lived for years at Norwood Care Centre in Edmonton and it’s one of three facilities of its kind in Canada. Us living in two provinces was most difficult for all my siblings -- there are six of us remaining, however as Dean’s ability to message us via text or messenger declined, we did our best to meet with Dean every two weeks on Zoom, often putting our own grievances aside to provide our brother that family time he so needed.

Dean used an eyegaze system to run his computer and for a long while was able to keep in touch (and up to date) with family through social media. A real gift. I want to once again thank those that helped him with our GoFundMe campaign to get him upgraded equipment. He wanted to be useful and so we hired him to help with some social media for The Bahamas Weekly for a time.

As Dean’s disease progressed, technology challenges would pop up as well. It was only two years ago in 2020, we had the Zoom breakthrough and he had a new tablet and upgraded technology to once again be able to communicate after the covid debacle separated us painfully.

*in 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge brought so much hope to those living with* ***Lou Gehrig's disease***. *WATCH THE VIDEO* *associated with this photo.*

Dean was again experiencing communication challenges this past year. He had not been online on Facebook since Sept. 2021, and similar with his email account. He became a silent sufferer...

I want to thank the staff at Norwood Care Centre for their years of care, many staff treated Dean like family. The manager at Norwood said she’s known our brother for eight years -- she also commended us, saying she’s never seen a family show so much love and support.

I’m proud of that. The team that we are as a family.

Dean followed my father's trade and worked in construction. He was a heavy-duty equipment operator and helped build freeways in Edmonton, he worked on two housing districts in the city, Millwoods and Castle Downs, and worked on highways all over the province as well as the Alaska Highway. He was once told by technical staff at his care centre, that “she could not imagine a better wheelchair operator."

A true Edmonton Oilers fan, Dean loved watching hockey and other sports. He used to cycle back in the day and loved motorbikes and vintage cars. His greatest joy, was his son Curt who I offer my love and deepest condolences to. Your aunties and uncles love you very much nephew!

Dean Whachell was born Daniel Fredrick Wachell on July 27, 1959. He was the fourth child and third boy born to William Wachell and Rosalyn Hinz.

Sleep in heavenly peace.