In Memory of

Nicolette

Jeannette

Orssich

Obituary for Nicolette Jeannette Orssich

Nicolette Jeannette Orssich (1929-2018), at Mount Royal, Montreal, 1955.
Nicolette Jeannette Orssich was born on July 1st 1929 in Semarang, Indonesia to Nicolas Willem Francken (1895-1974) and Johanna Christine Louise van der Mijll Dekker (1905 - 1983).
At age 10 Nicolette travelled to Europe on the ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and attended a prestigious Dutch boarding school in the Swiss Alps, the Prinses Beatrix Lyceum. During WWII Nicolette stayed at the Châteaux du Coitrin in Geneva, Switzerland with her grandparents, Abraham Fredrik van der Mijll Dekker, (1878-1961) and Henriette Jacoba van Heeckeren, (1884-1970). Nicolette attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Geneva where she developed a keen love for painting and ceramics. From 1951 to 1952 Nicolette lived in England where she worked as an Au Pair, from 1952 to 1954 Nicolette lived in Holland, and from 1954 to 1955, Paris.

In 1955 she travelled to Canada on the S.S. Ryndam, married Count Alexis Orssich de Slavetich (alias deBac) in Vandorf, Ontario, and later had three children. Nicolette followed her love of art, teaching painting at Kingscraft in King City Ontario, and later at night school in Ottawa. From 1968 to1982 she worked for the Ottawa and District Association for the Mentally Retarded, where she developed their ceramics program. Nicolette bought a cottage on Mahon Lake, Quebec where she spent many happy weekends and holidays fishing for smallmouth bass and cooking wonderful meals for her two boys. Upon retirement her and her partner, Harvey MacFarland (Scottie) purchased Birch lodge in Plevna, Ontario which they restored to its former glory and operated for a time. In 1993 Nicolette bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the outer harbour in Victoria, BC. Following Scottie’s tragic accident at Mahon Lake in 1994, Nicolette sold the cottage in Quebec and remained in Victoria. In August, 2014 Nicolette moved to Squamish, BC to be closer to family and passed away peacefully in her sleep, on the 31st of July, 2018. She was 89.

Predeceased by her sister Henriette Johanna Bouwes-Bavinck (Hetty), (1926-2002) and daughter Countess Dorice Marina Orssich (1956-1967). She leaves behind two sisters, Johanna Christina Louise Frowein (Jane), and Flora Therese Bresslau, (Flossy), two sons, Count Cyrill Nicolas Orssich and Count Richard Peter Orssich de Slavetich, two daughter in laws, Jeannie Hertendy-Orssich (Tenny) and Bounmy Outtamavongsa (Moo), two granddaughters, Countess Joanna Miquette Stangowitz and Andrea Fon Countess Orssich de Slavetich, one grandson Count Dustin Ray Orssich, one grandson in law, Erik Gordon Stangowitz, and one great granddaughter, Countess Valerie Vonda Stangowitz.
She will be dearly missed by all.