CHLOE ANNE DEL BIGIO (DE GRAAF)

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CHLOE ANNE DEL BIGIO
(DE GRAAF)
July 24, 1934 - December 30, 2019

Chloe passed away peacefully, her family at her bedside, after a struggle with dementia.
She is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Ronald Del Bigio; her children, Marc (Janice), Gregory (Charlotte), Jody (Gordon), and Dean (Kelsey); her grandchildren, Samantha, Casey, Milo, Camille, Bailey, Sadie, Clara, Joseph and Matteo; her brother John Peter (Pete); as well as numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws.
She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Anne (Esveld) de Graaf.
Chloe lived her entire life in Winnipeg, Canada, most of it along the Red River. She loved the changing light and life that came to the river with the shifting of the seasons. Chloe's first home was at Lot 66 Henderson Highway where her parents had a market garden farm along the river. As a teenager she lived at 44 Kelvin Street, which was expropriated to make way for the Disraeli Bridge. Chloe worked at a downtown bank, where she met Ron. She and Ron delighted in each of the homes they shared after their marriage, finally building the house at Kildonan Drive in 1983. This became the heart and soul of the family and a treasured and beautiful gathering place that was filled with light, special nooks and secret windows, and was imbued with Chloe's unique sense of style, art and elegance. Chloe was fortunate to be able to stay in her home during her illness only moving to the Holy Family Nursing Home for the last few weeks of her life.
Water was always important to Chloe. She spent the better part of every summer of her adult life at the family cottage at Betula Lake. Many hours were spent watching children and grandchildren learn to swim, wading in the lake and hoping to find something special (like pottery fragments or a rare arrowhead), canoeing, and watching waterskiing. Like the Kildonan Drive house, the cottage was transformed by Chloe's artistry into a truly beautiful and cherished place where family and friends gathered. She also loved wild seaside places like Tofino, Big Sur, Newfoundland and coastal France. She travelled many times to California, where her parents lived during the Depression.
She was a voracious reader, especially at night. Ron and the children almost always went to bed leaving Chloe at the reading lamp, often with an architecture magazine. Though not professionally trained, she loved and had a knack for design, which was evident in the unique stamp she put on the family homes on Rossmere Crescent and Kildonan Drive. Chloe's love of books and curiosity was passed along to her children; she supported (some might say indulged) their occasionally lengthy education paths.
Chloe's sense of style extended beyond architecture to fashion. Whether dressed in jeans or for an evening out, she always appeared casually and youthfully elegant. Her teenage granddaughters often argued about who would get to borrow her clothing and her whole family were the grateful recipients of carefully chosen outfits many of which are still worn today.
Family was everything to Chloe and Ron. The happiness of their children and grandchildren was their happiness. Nothing was more important than having family together at a dinner table, at the cottage, or on a vacation. As much as Chloe loved being in the company of her whole family, she had an incredible affinity for each individual family member. She knew each of them, their hopes and dreams, triumphs and tribulations and was always there to cheer or commiserate as the occasion demanded. Chloe's grandchildren were her life. She loved them dearly and gave many hours to them. Whether reading a book, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, creating a miniature diorama, listening to music, or watching a sports event, she was keenly aware of their interests and activities.
She also enjoyed gardening (perhaps a reflection of her Dutch market-gardening heritage), pets (despite allergies, paper tissue always within reach), very long walks (often exhausting the dogs), being barefoot (almost all the time, including winter), and music. Whether it was the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the Band, the Doors, or cool jazz, music was often playing in the house. To the end, music brought her pleasure.
Despite being an intensely private person, she loved to socialize. Her home was always a welcome place for neighbourhood friends of the children. When the children were younger, friends were always stopping by for homemade cookies and cakes. Large, and sometimes very large, family meals were frequent and special. The favourite recipes have been brought to the kitchens of her children.
While raising the kids, she worked in the home doing the accounting for Del's Electric. For decades she braved the winter weather to collect donations on behalf of the Heart & Stroke Foundation. She volunteered at the childrens' schools and later at the University of Winnipeg Career Fair.
Chloe will be remembered for all of the love and happiness that she brought to the family. Music, food, family gatherings, and the cottage will always remind us of how fortunate we were to have her in our lives. Time will ease the ache that we now feel in our hearts but our memories will never fade. Mom always said to us that she wanted to give us roots and wings - she succeeded.
Thanks to the caregivers of Comforts of Home-Care, and to the staff at Holy Family Home for making this difficult time easier.
Funeral arrangements by Cropo Funeral Chapel. There will be no public service.
Friends are invited to make a donation to a charity of their choice in Chloe's name.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 11, 2020