A founding member of the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre has died following her five-year battle with cancer.

Steinbach Arts Council chief creative officer Cindi Rempel Patrick says Iris Dirks had a great personality, a great smile, and was an inspiration to many.

Rempel Patrick notes Dirks was very active in the arts community from teaching piano to volunteering at the arts centre since 1996, bringing piano lessons into the schools, and lobbying for an arts centre building to facilitate programs, events, recitals, and workshops.

Iris Dirks volunteering with music classes in the Arts for Tots pre-school program in 2005. (Photo credit: SAC)She explains Dirks helped represent many music teachers in the process of trying to have an arts centre become a reality.

"We had many challenges at the beginning in convincing our city council and the community that there was an arts centre that was needed," she says. "She was one of the piano teachers that would help to lobby members in the community and members of our council who made these decisions, to say how important it was and how important it was to have music opportunities, to teach music, and to grow a community where we could develop young talents."

Rempel Patrick says Dirks spent time as a volunteer coordinator at the arts centre and volunteered much of her own time. She adds Dirks was also instrumental in bringing piano lessons into the schools.

"We were both teaching piano in the early years, in the schools. It was a challenge for piano students to leave the school during the day to go to their piano teacher's home and take lessons and come back. They would miss too much time at school.So, Iris was one of my colleagues, we worked together to get the principles of the schools to provide spaces in the schools so the students could just walk out of the classroom, and go to space where the piano was in the school. It made it much more convenient for parents."

Iris Dirks volunteering with Steinbach Arts Council as an usher at a concert. (Photo credit: SAC)She notes Dirks loved music, adding she knew how it added to her quality of life.

Rempel Patrick says one of her fondest memories of Dirks is when "we had a big gala event and she helped to decorate and put all the tables together. I remember we sat down for a little coffee break and, at that time, she had just told me she was diagnosed. It was very sad and I thought, oh boy, you've just been diagnosed with cancer and here you are helping us and helping a lot of people get the hall ready for a fundraising event. She was very inspiring to me."

She adds Dirks also became an inspiration to her during her personal battle with cancer.

"Iris was one of the first people who I connected with when I was diagnosed with cancer, and she had already been battling cancer for a few years. She came forward right away and she was one of my greatest inspirations. She was so positive, she'd come visit me at the office, she'd stop in here and bring me little cards and treats. Every time she came in I felt there was more hope. I'm very thankful that we had those talks and we had those times."

Rempel Patrick notes they would often meet and ask each other if their cells were still dormant and then celebrate their remissions.

"I'll never forget how I watched her as she went through her journey and we encouraged her. Not only did we share the love of music and we were both piano teachers and we knew each other for many years, but now we shared the same journey with battling cancer."

She adds Dirks will be missed.