Thiessen, William “Bill” (1934-2024) and Marianne Dyck Thiessen (1935-2014)
William "Bill" Thiessen: teacher and administrator; born to Peter (1901-1972) and Katherine (Berg) (1903-1936) Thiessen, on 15 August 1934, in Hague, Saskatchewan. Bill was the second of seven children. Bill and Marianne were married on 1 August 1959 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Marianne was born on 5 April 1935 in Drake, Saskatchewan, the daughter of Hans Dyck (1905-1990) and Anna (Regehr) Dyck (1910-1945). Marianne was a twin, and the eldest of four children. Bill and Marianne had two children, Joanne and Byron. Marianne died on 8 November 2014 and Bill on 7 November 2024, both in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Memorial services for both took place in South Abbotsford Church.
Bill completed high school at Rosthern Junior College in 1953. He earned a degree in Theology at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Winnipeg in 1958, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan in 1959, and a Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan in 1976.
In 1953 Marianne completed her high school in Langham, Saskatchewan, and then trained as a Registered Nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, graduating in 1956. From 1957-1958, she attended Canadian Mennonite Bible College, where Bill and Marianne met.
Both Bill and Marianne were baptized in Saskatchewan and became members of the General Conference Mennonite Church, as it was known as the time.
In 1958 Bill was ordained to the ministry in First Mennonite Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Early in his life of service, Bill was appointed Camp Director at Camp Elim and Pike Lake, Saskatchewan. Later he was active at the Rosthern Youth Farm from 1968 to 1971.
For many years Bill served in leadership positions with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), with several assignments in Nigeria (Ochaja, 1965-1968 and Jos, 1971-1974), some of that time during the very difficult Biafran civil war. Later he was hired as Executive Director for MCC in Alberta from 1976 to 1990. In British Columbia, Bill became the Director of Program and Personnel.
Bill and Marianne were widely known and loved for their selfless service, often hosting people in their home. In their 56 years of marriage, they hosted thousands of people, many of them international visitors.
After Bill and Marianne retired, they accepted short assignments with MCC that took them to Egypt, Jamaica, and Philippines. Bill and Marianne were passionate about justice; for example, supporting an inmate after many years spent in a Jamaican prison and helping him establish a new life in his own house.
Bill also led MCC-sponsored learning tours to Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Brazil, Bolivia, Haiti, Jamaica, and Central America. For many years Bill participated in the Abbotsford Rotary Club and offered lectures at the Abbotsford Learning Plus venue. He was a long-time volunteer, driving patients to medical appointments in the Fraser Valley, and working as a visitor guide at the Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford.
Marianne had special training and abilities in neonatal intensive care. She was employed in Rosthern Regional Hospital, Calgary Foothills Hospital, and Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Marianne had a love for volunteering with young mothers and their babies.
Bill and Marianne were faithful participants in the congregations where they were members. Marianne often accompanied congregational singing with her piano playing. Bill was a frequent speaker in church services or at retreat venues. Over many years they were variously members of First Mennonite Church, Saskatoon, Rosthern Mennonite Church, Nutana Park Mennonite Church (Saskatoon), Calgary Mennonite Fellowship, and South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren Church.
During their approximately nine decades on planet earth, Bill and Marianne experienced some of the worst behaviors humans are capable of. Such inhumanity notwithstanding, they never lost hope in a better future. Instead of bemoaning darkness, they lit candles of hope wherever they lived. They will be remembered as thoughtful, caring people, maintaining a wide range of contacts with family and friends, many of whom will miss the writings Bill frequently churned out in response to local or global events.
| Author(s) | Joanne Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Byron Thiessen | |
| Date Published | February 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Joanne and Byron Thiessen. "Thiessen, William “Bill” (1934-2024) and Marianne Dyck Thiessen (1935-2014)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2025. Web. 19 Jan 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Thiessen,_William_%E2%80%9CBill%E2%80%9D_(1934-2024)_and_Marianne_Dyck_Thiessen_(1935-2014)&oldid=181113.
APA style
Thiessen, Joanne and Byron Thiessen. (February 2025). Thiessen, William “Bill” (1934-2024) and Marianne Dyck Thiessen (1935-2014). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 January 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Thiessen,_William_%E2%80%9CBill%E2%80%9D_(1934-2024)_and_Marianne_Dyck_Thiessen_(1935-2014)&oldid=181113.
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