Sept. 27,1929 - June 8, 2007
After a long illness Maurits died peacefully on June 8, 2007 at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver. He was a Renaissance man – a lover of Chinese food, animals, lively political discussion, and music, particularly opera. Maurits was born in Shanghai, China and spent his early teens in a Japanese internment camp for allied civilians. After the war he emigrated to Canada, working a variety of jobs before attending the U.B.C. School of Social Work. Maurits worked as a field social worker in Chilliwack, Haney, and Abbotsford before accepting, in 1971, the position of Deputy Minister of Welfare for the Yukon Territory. Returning to the Fraser Valley in 1976, he joined the Federal Department of Corrections from where he eventually retired as warden of a federal penitentiary. In retirement, Maurits traveled extensively and wrote his book, “Uriel’s Legacy”.
Predeceased by his first wife, Sally (Stickney), son Paul, and daughter Rachel (Munroe), he is survived by his wife Joan Berlow, son Philip (Kelly Grant) and granddaughter Katharine, grandÂdaughters Sarah and Joanne Munroe, and sister Stella in South Africa.
Maurits was buried on June 10 at Temple Sholom Cemetery in Whiterock. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rachel Munroe Memorial Fund c/o The Abbotsford Community Foundation (604-850-3755).