Deacon Dennis Rivest was welcomed into eternal life, peacefully at home surrounded by close friends and immediate family, after a long and courageous journey with cancer on Sunday, July 31, 2022. Dennis was truly a remarkable model of service, humility, grace, and resilience. Through each trial and setback, Dennis persevered and lived the good life, remaining steadfast in his faith. He defied odds and became known among his community care team as “a medical miracle” and “unique.” To know Dennis was to encounter Christ’s love, and he inspired all those who knew him. Though Dennis could not speak due to his illness, he preached the Gospel through his acts of service.
Born in Windsor, Ontario, Dennis was a devoted and loving brother and son. He is fondly remembered by his parents, Genevieve and Paul Rivest; and his siblings Robert (Vicki) Rivest, Sharron Rivest, Elaine (Dennis) Nocent, and Paul Rivest. From an early age, Dennis was drawn to a life of service beginning with the Reserves, then with the Air Force as an air frame technician. He achieved his lifelong dream of joining the RCMP as a constable with hopes of being chosen for the Musical Ride. In 2000, Dennis, Cathy, and their young family decided to return to Ontario to find their permanent roots. He was hired as a constable with London Police Services, where he worked in various roles and kept his community safe. While still with London Police, Dennis answered his call to spiritual service and went through formation to become a deacon. In 2013, Dennis was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate and was assigned to St. George Parish in London, Ontario. He later became the Director of Permanent Deacons for the Diocese of London, a role in which Dennis found great spiritual fulfillment. Whether a badge or alb, Dennis wore each uniform with pride, honour, and a commitment to service.
Throughout his life, Dennis had many hobbies and loves, including watching movies with his family, cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs, and bowling. During the last few months, Dennis found great comfort and joy in building model ships, spending time with his “grand-puppies,” and working on his virtual farm on his Xbox. One of the best memories that Dennis made this year was attending his first Leafs game in Toronto in March, which was a lifelong dream of his.
Dennis was an exemplary model of fatherhood to his two daughters, Christina (Steven) Barber and Danielle (Nathan) Durand. Dennis instilled in his children the importance of family, faith, and community, and he always encouraged them to rely on and support one another. He shared with them his love for country music, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and John Wayne classics. Despite the medical challenges of recent years, his children were blessed to have him officiate Christina and Steven’s wedding and be present for Danielle and Nathan’s wedding. Even though he wore many uniforms, he was first and foremost a father.
Dennis was a devoted and loving husband to Cathy, to whom he had been married for 29 years. Dennis and Cathy were a model of Christian marriage and chose to love one another each day. On the day of his passing, Dennis and his family watched his and Cathy’s wedding video. As the wedding video neared its end and the two of them walked down the aisle to leave, Dennis was called home to his Heavenly Father, reminding us all that they had truly fulfilled their vows to each other to love one another, “all the days of their life.”
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the London Regional Cancer Program at LHSC and Dennis’ incredible palliative care team, who honoured Dennis’ dignity and supported his family on this journey. A special thank you to Dr. Cathy Faulds, Dr. Daniel Pepe, Dr. Hassan Mostafa, Amanda Williams, Carrie Ielapi, and Lawrence Durham. During Dennis’ final days, his wish of being comfortable at home was met with such compassion and excellence; truly, these individuals were angels to Dennis to help guide him on his journey home.
Please join us in celebrating Deacon Dennis’ life. His visitation will be at Westview Funeral Chapel (709 Wonderland Rd N, London) on Friday, August 5, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., with Vigil Prayer from 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. George Parish (1164 Commissioners Rd W, London) at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022. A reception in the St. George’s Parish Hall will be held following the interment at St Peter’s Cemetery. A livestream of the funeral will be available on the Springbank Catholic Family of Parishes YouTube page – please click here to to view the livestream. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Deacon Dennis’ honour to the Palliative Care Program at St. Joseph’s Health Care London.
As this is a celebration of Deacon Dennis’ life, the family encourages attire of bright colours and Western wear. They also strongly encourage those in attendance to wear masks.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Deacon Dennis Rivest July 14 1965 July 31 2022..
Death notice for the town of: London, Province: Ontario
Dear Cathy, Danielle, Christina, Nathan, and Steven, I am so very sorry for the loss of Dennis.
He was a wonderful man, and I could tell how much love for you all that he had. Every time I seen him at church he was always so happy and glowing in God’s love for him. When he came back to church after his first round of treatment, I noticed that he never once complained about his cancer. He truly was a gift of God. My blessings are with you all, and I can see him riding off into the sunset on Echo with his cowboy boots and hat.
Love to you all,
Dawn Cormier
❤️🙏🏻📿🧎🏼♀️