Obituary of Bente Wild

Wild, Bente – Peacefully passed away in the company of her family on Thursday, August 11th, 2016, in Blenheim Community Village, age 89. She was born in Denmark on January 1st, 1927 to parents the late Knud Aaug Lund and Else nee Jorgensen. Bente was predeceased by her husband Eric Hansen in 1961 and Bill Wild in 2003. She was a loving mother to Kim Hansen, Eileen and Bob Merkley, Janet and John Lindsay and Mark and Kathy Hansen. Bente was the grandmother to Tara and Matt Rix, Courtney and Craig Lachine, Kimberly and Shaun Cranley, Carlin Lindsay and Matt Cunningham, Jordin & Ricky Lindsay, Daniel, Alan & Steven Merkley, Jared, Garnet, Jacob, & Grace Hansen. Bente was the great grandmother to Matthew, Joshua, & Mikayla Rix, Mariah, Rylynn & Cali-Grace Cranley, Natalie, Meredith & Ben Lachine, and Max & Henry Cunningham. Twin sister of the late Anni Hasselskog of Sweden and older sister to Helle Larsen of Denmark. Bente was a woman full of spirit and passion. Making her way to a new country and shortly thereafter losing her husband, with 4 young children, she was determined to provide the best life she could for her family. Bente was also a lover of nature- she enjoyed being outside, swimming in the lake, kayaking, gardening, and animals of all kinds. She worked with horses, bred dogs, rescued a few cats and was even known to feed a family of young foxes behind her home. Her desire to give went far beyond animals as well! She donated her time and money to causes all around the world. Finding a career that suited her nature, Bente drove a school bus for children with exceptionalities in Kent County for 26 years. Bente’s zest for life was demonstrated in her active lifestyle. She continued to swim in the lake by her home, cross country ski, and kayak well into retirement. Even in her final years, she made a point of going for long walks daily. Bente taught us much about taking on the world. The family would like to thank the staff of Blenheim Community Village for their loving care shown to Bente in the time she spent there. Following Bente’s wishes, cremation will take place with a Private Family Burial to follow. Donations in memory of Bente may be made to C-K Animal Rescue or Chatham Kent OSPCA. Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/178800118" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/178800118">Bente Wild</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user27484248">McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>