Case van Diemen, a longtime Kamloops figure and former Director of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society has died at the age of 74.
He served as President of both the Kamloops and Quesnel Minor Hockey Associations for two years, and was also on the Board of Directors of the Kamloops Blazers from 2000 until 2006 before becoming the President for two years.
Born in Utihorn, Netherlands, the family moved to Keremeos in 1953. van Diemen joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in Comox for three years before being honourably discharged after losing his arm in a motorcycle accident.
“Case did not let the loss of his arm define him. He played every sport he wanted, and he enjoyed success in all of them. Slo-pitch and golf were two of his favourites. He was fortunate to accomplish two holes in one,” an obituary said.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 65, Case and his wife of 45 years, Verita, found a place at the Shuswap “which provided the family with memories that will last a lifetime.”
“Case made the difficult decision to die with dignity with his family by his side,” the obituary added. “Case was thankful to be able to have the choice to go out on his terms.”
“In the last decade, Case’s joy came from his grandchildren; watching them grow and develop into adventurous young boys. They were his pride and joy and brought him much happiness.”
Outside of sports, van Diemen graduated from Vancouver City College with a degree in Accounting. He started working for Fownes Construction in North Vancouver before moving to Kamloops and a partnership role with Wills Enterprises was formed with Bob Wills, which eventually led to the inception of Argo Road Maintenance.
He was actively involved with Road Builders of BC and was Chair for a one year term. He was a proud member of the Kinsmen Club of Kamloops and the Rotary Daybreak Club in Kamloops, serving in a number of leadership roles.
Longtime #Kamloops figure and former Director of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society Case van Dieman has passed. He was the Director from 2000-06 https://t.co/PscHuyO0UG
— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) November 3, 2021
