Obituaries

Louis “Lou” (Liûwe) de Jong
May 14, 1937 – November 10, 2017
   On Friday, November 10, 2017, Lou passed away at Riverview Health Centre at the age of 80 years.   Left to survive Lou are his siblings, Line van Solkema, Hinke Polet, Jessie Bosma (Douwe), Eta Meinders (Henk) and Gerta de Jong; his children, Joseph and Marion (Brent); grandchildren, Rylee and Hayden, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Cole, and siblings, Ynse (John) de Jong, Bertha Kruizenga (John), Hindrik (Henry) de Jong (Pauline), and Geeske (Grace) Venema (Dave).   Lou was born in the town of Nijemardum, Fryslân, the Netherlands, the sixth of ten children, and emigrated to Canada with his family in 1952. He completed high school in Winnipeg, and met his wife a few years later while working at Scott Bathgate. Lou and Dayle married in 1960, and were together for 39 years. During the early years, Lou completed technical training at Red River College, and then went on to work at Manitoba Hydro for many years as an electronic technician until his retirement in 1993.   A keen mind, Lou could repair or build just about anything, and he did. Of his proudest achievements was the family cottage he built at Malachi, Ontario in the early ‘70s. Besides building, fixing and tinkering, Lou liked to ice skate, bicycle, and play the accordion.   In 2006 Lou suffered a debilitating stroke, but through determination and perseverance, he made a tremendous recovery, and regained his independence, which he was able to maintain until quite recently.   Lou was blessed and grateful to have many friends and family members who helped and supported him over the past decade. In keeping with his wishes, cremation has taken place, and no service will be held. A private gathering will take place at a future date.   In lieu of flowers, donations in Lou’s memory may be made to a charity of choice or, World Vision, Operation Smile, or the Winnipeg Humane Society, which were some of his favourite charities.   The family would like to thank the staff of Riverview Health Centre for their kindness and the compassionate care they provided to Lou over the past few weeks.     Wojcik’s Funeral Chapels & Crematoriums, Winnipeg, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204.897.4665 www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com