Obituary of Cornelius vanHeerwaarden

Cornelius vanHeerwaarden, affectionately known as ‘Kees’ or ‘Van’, passed away peacefully with family at his side and was reunited with his beloved Christina on Sunday, July 1st, 2018 at the age of 87. Born into a large Dutch family in 1931, he was loved by his siblings: Jannetje, Cornelia, Theodora, Jan, Alida, Vera, Bernadina, Maria, Jacobus, Petrus and Clasina. Van was a man of many gifts that he shared with us all. He will always be remembered for the stories he told, the memories he cherished and his generosity. A man with a quick wit, quirky sense of humour and an inspiration to everyone he met. A serious construction accident many years ago took away much of his physical abilities but not his unwavering faith in God, nor his fighting spirit. He faced adversity in a loving, courageous and compassionate manner. Van was a loving father to Jeff (Janet), Gary (Margaret) and Harry (Liz) and very proud Opa to his grandchildren Nicole, Jake, Emily, Luke and Sam. He will be remembered in our hearts forever. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 4th, 2018 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at HOLY FAMILY PARISH, 777 Valetta Street, London, on Thursday, July 5th, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. with reception to immediately follow. In respect of Van’s wishes, cremation will precede the visitation. Private family interment of ashes at St. Peter’s Cemetery. The family would like to say a special thank-you to his loving caregivers at The Village of Glendale Crossing, whom he loved dearly, and the amazing nurses and care team that provided wonderful care and compassion for Van during his final hours. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in memory of Van are asked to consider Diabetes Canada.