Renée Réjane Wills (née Dubé)

Renée Réjane Wills (née Dubé) passed peacefully on April 11, 2026, at the age of 87, at North Shore hospice surrounded by her family, after a difficult battle with cancer. Born in St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Renée grew up in various Catholic boarding schools after her parents separated when she was five. She rarely talked about her painful experiences there but hinted at cold, hunger and abuse from which she ran at 16, ending up in Waterloo, Ontario where her father had settled. There, she met a talented musician, Barry Wills who had just started in the first co-op engineering class at UofW. They married in 1961, happily living on nothing and welcoming a daughter in 1963. They tragically lost a newborn son in 1968. Renée was predeceased by her husband Barry in 2014. She is survived by her daughter. Renée had a fiery personality and was quick to judge but usually was correct in her assessments. She was with Barry every day and made sure he was properly cared for until his death. After Barry's death, Renée moved to West Vancouver to be closer to her family.