Delores "Dee" (Waldee) Kokan

SHERBURN - Delores "Dee" (Waldee) Kokan, age 81, of Sherburn, MN, passed away at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Fairmont, MN, on Monday, May 18, 2026.

A Celebration of Dee’s life will be held at a later date.

If you would like to leave a message of sympathy for Dee's family, you can do so at www.sinnfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Dee’s memory to the Martin County Minnesota Humane Society (PO Box 123, 522 E Margaret St, Fairmont, MN 56031 - https://www.mchsofmn.org/) or The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary (https://www.wildmustangs.com/donate) — a fitting tribute to a woman who always made room in her heart for animals.

Dee was born on November 22, 1944, in Sherburn, Minnesota, to Lavern and Alma (Brockmann) Waldee. She grew up in Sherburn and went on to earn her degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris. In 1971, she and her husband Razi moved to Woodbridge, Virginia, where Razi pursued his career with the Navy. Woodbridge would be home for the next 35 years, and Dee made it her own in every sense. She devoted herself to teaching young children as a preschool teacher and was a dedicated and active member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. She also gave generously of her time to a local public school, leaving a lasting impression on the children and families she served. Her years in Woodbridge were full and meaningful, shaped by faith, community, and a genuine love of nurturing others.

After three and a half decades in Virginia, Dee returned back home to Sherburn, Minnesota, to care for her mother. While many retirees head south in search of sunshine and warm weather, she loved the cold climate - especially the view of her lake during a snowstorm, a sight she never tired of.

Dee had a lifelong love of animals and was rarely without at least one faithful feline companion. She cared so much for animals that she couldn’t hurt a spider. She would always humanely capture them and release them outside, something she even taught her preschool students to do. She treasured the bonds she had built over a lifetime, and her cherished circle of longtime friends, the GGs, held a special place in her heart. Those who knew her remember her warmth, her loyalty, and the genuine joy she took in the people around her.

Dee was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Razi Kokan, who passed away in 1999, and by her parents, Laverne and Alma Waldee; brother, Lee; and many beloved aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her three sons: David (Julie), Daniel (Amanda), and Timothy (Stephanie); seven grandchildren: Alex (Allison), Ed, Amy, Sam, Caroline, Matthew, and Aubrey; and one great-grandson, Leo. She is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends spread across the country who were a source of deep and abiding joy throughout her life. The love and connection she shared with them was a thread woven through every chapter of her story.