Dyck, Neil (Kornelius) (1953-2001)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald" obituary: 2002 May 3 p. 26

Birth date: 1953 Oct 28

text of obituary:

NEIL (KORNELIUS) DYCK

Neil (Kornelius) Dyck of Winnipeg passed away Mar. 28, 2001. He was born Oct. 28, 1953 to Jacob and Katharina Dyck in Paraguay. The family moved to Winnipeg when he was 3. They attended First Mennonite Church. He enjoyed playing hockey, running cross-country, cross-country skiing, camping, outings and family gatherings. He earned a B.A. from the University of Manitoba in sociology with a minor in religious studies. He was interested in God and the universe, read Tolstoy and books on theology and was intrigued by the search for truth. He had attended catechism classes at North Kildonan Mennonite Church. In 1972 he was baptized; the following year he read the Bible cover to cover. He slowly withdrew from church, but continued to read the Bible. He took yoga, practised meditation and studied world religions. In 1977 he travelled through the Holy Land and worked on kibbutzim. Back in Winnipeg, he attended a small Bible study group. Over the next 10 years, he became increasingly involved in church as a Sunday school teacher to children and adults, council member and lay speaker. He married Linda Klein in summer 1981 . He took computer programming in 1982 and found work in this field. In 1989, he joined MCC, managing a low-income housing project in Kenora, Ont. He learned about native culture, language and religion. Returning to Winnipeg, he worked for Disabled Peoples' International. He took a year off to write, worked in computer programming and completed further studies in that field at Red River Community College. He was diagnosed with a bone marrow disorder in 1997 and had a bone marrow transplant on Oct. 2, 1999. He experienced infections and complications from the surgery. He lost vision in his right eye and had a cataract in his left eye. He loved hiking, canoeing, kayaking, going west to the mountains and spending time with nature. He appreciated the friendship of others and the fellowship at River East MB Church. He is remembered as a good, loving, generous man who cared about the state of the world and humanity. He was intelligent, well-read and a deep thinker. He is mourned by Linda; his parents; 2 sisters and 2 brothers.