BRIGITTE GERTRUD ERNA DE MARCH (ASMUSS)

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BRIGITTE GERTRUD ERNA DE MARCH (nee ASMUSS) With profound sadness Brigitte's family announces that she passed away peacefully on September 2, 2010, too soon at the age of 62. Brigitte is survived by her husband of 38 years, Larry, her mother, Herta Asmuss, sisters Barbara Adams (Greg), Margret Asmuss (Peter Krebs), nephews Mark, Liam, Andreas and Nikolai, and nieces Sonya and Kristen. She was predeceased by her father Georg Asmuss. Brigitte was born on August 29, 1948 in Berlin, Germany. She immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of six. She grew up in Saskatoon where she stayed to earn a BSc at the University of Saskatchewan. She moved to Winnipeg to pursue a Master's degree in the Zoology Department at the University of Manitoba. It was in Manitoba that she met her husband Larry de March, made her home and worked at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for 30 years, first as a biologist, then after earning a PhD, as a research scientist. She worked on many varied projects from the effects of Methoxychlor on invertebrates in the Athabasca River to separating Arctic whale stocks using genetic methods. Her strength was in mathematics and the development and application of statistical methods. Brigitte had a drive to excel and could accomplish anything she set her mind to. She had a lifelong passion for the outdoors and the natural world beginning with rock collections and careful observations of ant colonies as a child. Brigitte loved to hike whether it was in the Rockies, some more exotic location or on one of the many trails in Whiteshell Provincial Park. She loved handcrafts, spending many happy and relaxing hours making everything from baskets to linocut prints. Every year friends and relatives looked forward to her original lino-cut print Christmas cards. Her interest in handwork extended to spinning and dying her own wool for use in knitting, crochet, woven tapestries, teddy bears and hooked rugs. Brigitte was interested in the preservation and promotion of craft and in 1996 she became involved with the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, first as a board member then Board President until shortly before her death. Her involvement with the museum was also hands on she co-curated the Treasures from Handspun exhibit at the museum in 2007. Brigitte always had time for her nieces and nephews and anyone who came to her looking for help with anything from statistical problems to how to cast off the end of a piece of knitting. Brigitte lived with cancer for less than a year and a half. She remained determined and optimistic right to the end. She will be greatly missed by her family, her friends and everyone who knew her. Cremation has already taken place in accordance with Brigitte's wishes. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library or the charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 11, 2010