Mary Gouw

1951 - 2026

 Mary Gouw (née Djani), beloved wife of Bill Gouw, passed away peacefully, in Taber during the early morning hours on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at the age of 74 years, with Bill at her side.

Besides Bill, her loving husband of fifty three years, Mary is survived by their children Jason Gouw (Heather) of Calgary and their children Ryker and Amara; Angie (Ryan) Stang of Taber and their children Tyler (Emily), Tatum (Tyson), Baron and Tommi; Kristina (Jerry) Thompson of Okotoks and their children Hayden and Nash. She is also survived by her sister Jeanne (Chester) Rudolf and their children Mike (Amber) Rudolf and their family Mirko, Jude and Lennon and Lindsay (Dan) DeBona and their children Vinnie, Dax and Taia. Mary will be fondly remembered by an aunt and numerous cousins in Australia, cousins in the United States, Ontario and Serbia as well as sisters and brothers-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews on Bill’s side throughout Western Canada and the United States.

Mary was born in Zmajevo, Serbia (former Yugoslavia) on November 23,1951 to Mirko and Olga Djani. She immigrated with her parents to Canada in 1953, settling in Taber. Mary met her husband Bill while in high school and they were married in 1972. After they were married, Bill and Mary lived on the farm east of Barnwell where they raised their three children Jason, Angela and Kristina. In 1991, they moved into Taber where she resided, most recently at Linden View, until the time of her passing.

Mary worked at the Alberta Treasury Branch (ATB) in Taber from 1990 until her early retirement in 2006 due to complications from brain cancer. She loved working there and especially dealing with her many clients. During retirement, Mary loved to spend time with her grandkids, spending countless hours watching them at the rink, cooking and baking elaborate meals for her family, working in her flower garden, playing cards and Yahtzee with her many friends and walking her dogs. Mary loved to travel and she went on several memorable trips including a family trip to Disneyland, an Alaskan cruise with Bill, Hawaii, Phoenix and Las Vegas with Jeanne and most recently, Cancun with Angie and Kristina.

Mary suffered from many health issues over the years including cancer, twice, but she always fought hard to survive. The intense radiation treatment required to help her fight brain cancer likely led to dementia in later life, which she eventually passed from.

Relatives and friends are invited to Prayers at Southland Funeral Chapel, 5006 - 48 Avenue, Taber, on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 4:00 P.M.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, 5009 - 48 Avenue, Taber, on Monday, January 12, 2026 at 11:00 A.M. 

Those who are unable to attend and wish to view the service online may do so by  clicking on the livestream link that will be available on this page at 10:45 A.M. on Monday, January 12, 2026. Barring any technical difficulties, the livestream will begin at 11:00 A.M.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Mary’s name may be made directly to Taber Lost Paws Society, 5710 - 66 Avenue, Taber, Alberta T1G 1B8 www.taberlostpawssociety.com or to the Canadian Cancer Society, 200, 325 Manning Road NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 2P5 www.cancer.ca.

Special thanks to all the staff at Linden View as well as the Taber Hospital who gave incredible and compassionate care to Mary, especially during her final weeks.