Longtime school trustee Derek Dabee had ‘boundless energy,’ made people feel heard

Devoted volunteer died Sunday at age 75, spent final days campaigning for re-election

By: Maggie Macintosh

Derek (Deva) Dabee wasn’t shy, be it on a stranger’s doorstep, in front of a camera or otherwise.

The Maples school trustee spent his final days campaigning for re-election, mingling at community events and posing for pictures with friends, both old and new.

“His ability to connect with people of all ages, youth to seniors — it was very special,” said Devi Sharma, who worked closely with the Guyanese-Canadian leader who had “boundless energy” during the 16 years they served overlapping constituents in northwest Winnipeg.

“He made people feel seen and heard.”

Dabee, an active volunteer and member of the Seven Oaks School Division’s board of trustees, died of a heart attack Sunday. He was 75.

His sudden death has sparked an outpouring of condolences inside and outside Seven Oaks, where Dabee’s wide smile and infectious laugh were staples at convocations, fundraisers and other events.

Dabee made a point of greeting each person in every room he entered — and there were hundreds of community events, if not thousands, he attended annually — and, by default, “lit up,” said Sharma, former city councillor for Old Kildonan.

“It was the sparkle in his eye, his genuine interest in people and his kindness and energy, (which) had no bounds.”

Sharma called him a friend and mentor, owing to his commitment to community- and consensus-building, as well as promoting diverse workforces and active lifestyles for all ages.

This week, a memorial of white roses appeared on the corner of Manila Road and Councillor Bay, beside a green-and-white sign promoting his re-election bid for trustee.

Seven Oaks superintendent Tony Kreml said Dabee was determined to make others, especially students and school staff, feel seen. He also wanted them to feel accepted, valued and celebrated, Kreml said.

“If he knew you, he would say ‘Hi.’ If he didn’t, he’d say ‘Hi, I’m Derek Dabee. Who are you? I want to know you,’” he said.

The school board issued a memo Sunday to request its principals fly Canadian flags at half-mast in his honour this week.

Kindergarten-to-Grade 12 buildings were also directed to post tributes on their digital school signs: “In memory of trustee Derek Dabee (1951-2026). Remembered with respect.”

In addition to trustee, Dabee had numerous titles. He was a husband, father, multifaceted volunteer, racket-sport enthusiast — tennis in the summer, pickleball in the winter — and practising Hindu.

His adult son, Daniel Dabee, said it was a rare occasion if his dad didn’t have plans to visit a court on any given day.

“Everyone is shocked that he had a heart attack. We did not know he had heart issues. Dad was a super fit guy,” the 38-year-old said.

Dabee as “a typical brown dad” who never told his kids he was proud of them, preferring instead to brag to friends about their accomplishments, he said.

He got involved in the local cricket community shortly after immigrating to Canada from the Carribbean, then a young adult pursuing post-secondary education, in the 1970s.

As he grew older he became obsessed with tennis, but the senior remained a lifelong ally of the Manitoba Cricket Association. Dabee was instrumental in securing funds to open the city’s first artificial turf cricket pitch in 2014.

He spent much of his senior years lobbying for sport, playground and recreation-related upgrades across Winnipeg.

“He always wanted to help someone,” Sandy Dabee said of her husband of nearly 40 years.

She said his main passions in life were politics, playing tennis and public service, both in the forms of school trusteeship and volunteerism.

More than 20 different organizations, including Folklorama, the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre and Maples Community Centre, benefited from his helping hands.

The Caribbean Canada Health Heart Education’s board of directors described its founding president as “everyone’s uncle” in a written tribute.

Dabee also played a key role in the creation of the Guyanese Association of Manitoba, Burton Cummings Community Centre and Seven Oaks’ Filipino and Punjabi bilingual education programs.

“He wanted to attend as many community events as possible. He didn’t have to, but he always liked to,” said Anil Sedha, vice-president of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Canada.

Dabee was the secretary of the Winnipeg-based charity dedicated to promoting Gandhi’s teachings of non-violence, truth and tolerance. He organized the non-profit’s annual student essay competition.

In a 2018 interview about his wide-ranging volunteerism, Dabee told the Free Press his mantra was: “Be a good neighbour and be helpful.”

Dabee cited his mom as a key influence, given he grew up watching his mom regularly help out at her temple in Guyana before he moved to Canada as a young adult.

Sedha said the community leader was known for embodying a “Guyanese spirit” because “he was always jovial, friendly and smiling.”

Dabee’s original plan was to complete his studies at the University of Manitoba and return to his homeland located on the northeastern shore of South America. He ended up spending more than 50 years building a life in Winnipeg and making friends with other newcomers, many of them from the Filipino and Punjabi communities.

Both the NDP government and Opposition PC caucuses issued statements acknowledging his wide-ranging impact on community development in Manitoba.

Dabee sat on municipal and provincial committees dedicated to diversifying hiring practices in government.

Despite being a card-carrying member of the NDP, he chose green — a nod to the Seven Oaks logo — to market himself to voters in Ward 2.

His platform for a fifth term identified increasing student scholarships and taking action to “address the challenges of social media and screen time” as priorities.

The superintendent said the division is mourning the loss of a beloved ambassador who was known for his integrity and warm approach.

“He was proud of all the staff and students. He’d speak highly of them and speak highly of the school division. He wasn’t shy about letting people know that,” Kreml said.

In recent weeks, Dabee had been bombarding his family group with canvassing-related photos.

His family’s regular Sunday-night dinners, often featuring roast beef and potatoes, were disrupted because of his busy door-knocking schedule this fall.

“It’s so weird driving into the Maples and seeing all the signs,” his son said.

Sharma echoed those comments. She began to cry as she described how heartbreaking it was to see flowers placed by one of his campaign signs.

The pair made local elections history for different reasons in 2010. Dabee became the first Guyanese trustee. Sharma became the first Punjabi woman to win a city council seat.

Dabee regularly championed multiculturalism, diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and “diversity hiring.”

He was known for asking school board leaders to present reports on teacher and principal demographics.

“The needle was moved in the system because of his advocacy,” Sharma said.

In separate interviews, Sharma and Kreml emphasized it was important to Dabee that students in Seven Oaks, one of the most diverse divisions in Manitoba, saw themselves reflected in all positions.

“In his latest conversation with me, he said, ‘If I win, we still have lots of work to do,’” said Kreml, who employs thousands of education workers — approximately 12 per cent of whom are Indigenous, nine per cent of whom are South Asian and seven per cent of whom are Southeast Asian.

City of Winnipeg spokesperson Tamara Forlanski said her office extended its condolences to all those who knew Dabee.

Manitoba law required elections workers to post notices about the nominee’s death and subsequent withdrawal from the race at “a conspicuous location” at each affected polling station Wednesday.

Given advanced polls had already closed, Dabee won nearly eight per cent of all votes that were cast in his ward.

A public celebration of life has been scheduled for Nov. 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Maples Community Centre.

Dabee’s family is requesting donations be made to the Caribbean Canada Heart Health Foundation in lieu of flowers.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca