VONK; Reindert
March 11, 1928 ~ January 4, 2016
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved "Opa", Reindert Vonk. He passed away peacefully into the presence of his Lord on January 4th at the age of 87 at Cascade Hospice. He leaves behind his loving wife Maria, 4 children and their spouses: Margaret (Gilles) St. Pierre, Ron (Ina) Vonk, Sofia (John) Wyles, Marian (Ed) Warkentin, 17 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother Jacob and his brother-in-law Wout. Rein was born on March 11, 1928 to Reindert and Sofia (nee Elst) in Driebergen, in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands. In 1951 he married Maria Jansen in Driebergen. He worked for the railroad in Rotterdam but housing was scarce following WWII. As a result, Rein and Maria moved to Edmonton in 1952 to build a better future for their family. In 1976 he moved to BC and bought a mushroom farm in Abbotsford. He was an active member of Gateway CRC church for 40 years. In his retirement years he would often be found helping around his strata complex and walking the Mill Lake loop. He was a funny, gentle and wise man who will be missed by many. The family would like to extend our appreciation to the staff at Cascade Hospice for their professional care and kindness. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 1:00 pm at Gateway Community Church, 2884 Gladys Avenue, Abbotsford with Pastor Bert Slofstra officiating. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Abbotsford Hospice Society.