It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Darrel Rodger of Edmonton, Alberta, on Monday, July 4, 2022, at the age of 61 years.

Darrel will be proudly and lovingly remembered by his devoted dog, Hershey; his roommate, Jean-Claude Patterson and many friends. He is predeceased by his fiancé, Stephanie, and his parents.

Darrel had a very full and interesting life during his short time with us. He was born in France, went to boarding school in England and moved to Canada when he was 12. He had a great sense of humour, loved good food and never stopped helping those around him.

He lived many lifetimes worth of adventure. He survived a plane crash, a brain aneurism, the heartache of finding and losing the love of his life and let’s not forget his chihuahua, Lilo – the second love of his life. Through it all, he kept his wit and regaled many with humorous stories of his daily encounters with people.

Darrel enjoyed attending the Fringe for many years, supporting local artists and local fine dining establishments. He always kept a close eye on politics and followed what was happening locally and around the world. Darrel could often tie the bigger picture together before others even knew one was forming.

He loved his work, no matter where he was working. He threw himself full heartedly into the job he was doing. He enjoyed technical writing and certainly was never shy about sharing his opinions on matters at hand. He always delivered his best to the jobs he was working on. In his last few days, he was talking about the many places he had worked over the years and was sharing stories about them all. Darrel connected with many at his workplace and always lent a helping hand to those who sometimes did not even know they needed the help. People would in casual conversation, mention a struggle they were going through, and the next day Darrel would be at their desk with money to help them pay for the new water heater, car payment or the vet bill. Despite his claims to the contrary, we all knew Darrel had a big heart and he cared about those around him.

Darrel spent time volunteering at the Food Bank and many years living downtown, so he got to know a side of the city that many of us do not see. He would always share his cigarettes, leave his empties someplace that he knew they would be found and would give advice to those in need; while many would shy away from speaking to others on the street, Darrel would engage in conversation and listen and empathize. Darrel made sure to vote and participated in community awareness and other civic initiatives to make life a little better for those in need.

He enjoyed gaming, finding esoteric YouTubers to follow and good, dark serial killer series on Netflix. Watching those with him was like having a psychoanalyst sitting beside you. It was always an adventure to watch the show with him and have it dissected in real time beside you.

As Darrel would say - Cheers, Salute, God Speed

Rest in Peace, Darrel.

A Celebration of Darrel's Life will take place on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 2 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church, 11828 - 85 Street, Edmonton with Reverend Glenn McDonald, CSB officiating.

In loving memory of Darrel, we encourage people to bring a donation of clean underwear and socks (if you know, you know) to the service to be donated to the Hope Mission. Memorial donations may be made to the Bissell Centre, 10527 - 96 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 2H6 or the Edmonton Food Bank, 11508 - 120 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5G 2Y2.

We send special thanks to the staff at the Grey Nuns Hospital. We are grateful for the respect, honesty and care shown to Darrel.