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John de Raaf
March 2, 1931 - September 29, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">This announcement will serve as the official notice of the passing of our father, John deRaaf, long time resident of Brooks, Alberta and the last four years of his life in Winnipeg.<br> <br>Dad was born in Holland in 1931 and endured the Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945. At the very young age of 18, dad left his home and ventured to a new world called Canada, where he sought a better life for himself. He eventually settled in the Brooks area of Alberta. <br> <br>The fact that Dad did not know a word of English did not deter him from his new adventure. He was a hard worker and soon found full time employment with the Canadian Pacific Railway and learned firsthand that life in the Canadian Prairies was not going to be easy, especially the winters! <br> <br>Two years later, Dad travelled back to Holland to ask his long-time girlfriend, Janny to join him in his new adventure. Our mother told us he was wearing a leather cowboy hat when he came back for her. <br> <br>Upon reflection we believe it is accurate to characterize our Dad as our “Dutch Cowboy”. After all, Dad’s charismatic cowboy-like character made him a loyal and wonderful friend and relative to many. <br> <br>Dad’s legacy will no doubt be his ability to instantly engage positively and warmly with people. He liked everyone, including his family, friends, clients, neighbors, connections from the church and at the end of his life, his dedicated health care providers. <br> <br>Dad’s kindness was evident the minute you met him, a gift that lasted right through to the end of his days. Even during the final weeks of his life where he endured great pain, Dad was able to acknowledge both health care professionals and family members alike with his warm and heart-felt smile. <br> <br>Dad, you will be missed by many. Thank you for being such a positive force in our lives for so long. <br> <br>Love, Leny, Casey, John, Mary Jane and Jeannette. <br> <br>Our family would like to acknowledge the dedicated care and professionalism of the following health care institutions in Winnipeg: Riverside Lion’s Manor, St Boniface Hospital and Vista Park Lodge. <br> <br>In lieu of flowers, we would ask a contribution be made in Dad’s name to: <br>Alzheimer’s Society www.alzheimercalgary.ca or the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation www.heartandstroke.com <br> <br>Funeral services will be held in the Chapel of Mountain View Funeral Home (1605 100 Street S.E. Calgary, AB) on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 2:00 pm. <br> <br></div>