December 24, 2023
Celebration of Life ~
It is with profound sadness that we announce that we have learned of the passing of our father on 24 December 2023 peacefully in his sleep at his home in Greenwood, BC. Our father was born in Sondel in 1942 and came to Canada from Friesland NL with his family in 1951. In 1963 he met our mother, Marie-Jeanne Comeau and they moved to Toronto, ON to start a family.
He leaves behind his children, Marguerite & Edward, and his brothers Homer (Pearl), Bill (Sharon), John (Lynn), as well as many cousins back in the Netherlands.
He was predeceased by our Mother in January 2014, his brothers Gerald (March 2020) & Sydney (June 2020), and his sister Tina (October 2021).
He loved driving the big trucks for as long as I remember, with one of my happiest memories being the day I was allowed to go to work with him when he drove for PPG Industries. He let me have a WHOLE bag of Oreos that day! In the mid-70s our family moved to BC so we could be closer to the rest of his family.
He was a professional tractor-trailer driver all his life, so I know many truckers in the Okanagan will remember the Dutchman from Keremeos, BC who worked with Berry & Smith out of Penticton, BC.
Unfortunately we never had many opportunities to visit due to my military service across Canada, and my brother residing in Winnipeg, MB, but he was thought of often as we tried to keep in touch long distance.
In order to provide family and friends an opportunity to remember him with love and fond memories, my brother and I will host a Celebration of Life where you can share any pictures or stories you may have to share.
Please join my brother Ed and I on:
Saturday 23 March 2024, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The White Spot Restaurant, 36035 North Parallel Road, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2C6
A special note of thanks to the Kelowna General Hospital for saving his life in 2016, and to the Boundary District Hospital in Grand Forks for the excellent care he always received whenever he had to (very stubbornly) be a patient.
Service Details
5:00 PM