Jacob "Jack" Van Bruggen
Jack Van Bruggen passed away peacefully at Bayfield Manor in Kemptville on Tues., June 8, 2010 after a lengthy illness. He was in his 84th year.
Jack was born in Holland on July 24, 1926. He served three years in the Dutch army in Indonesia and then immigrated to Canada in 1951 with his fiancee, Johanna (Joan) Streunding, and his parents, the late Janko and the late Geetruida (Lynema) Van Bruggen. He lived in the upper Ottawa Valley before settling and farming in Vernon from 1956 to 1971. After selling the farm he moved to Winchester with his family and lived there until 2007, when he and Joan moved to Bayfield Retirement Home in Kemptville. Jack worked in the parts department at the W.J.L. Boyd car dealership in Winchester and with McFarlane's construction in Ottawa. He will be remembered as the custodian at Winchester Public School from 1980 to 1993.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife and best friend, Joan; his children, Clara (Steve Quinn) of Osgoode, and Marianne (Larry Simms) of Hallville; his grandchildren, Alison Quinn of Helsinki, Finland, Greg Quinn of Manotick, and Brent and Shawn Simms of Hallville; his sister, Effie (Sebe Vogel) of Winchester, sister-in-law Jantje Streunding of Holland; and several nieces and nephews in Canada and in Holland.
The funeral service was held at Byers Funeral Home in South Mountain on Fri. June 11 with Rev. Blair Paterson officiating. The pallbearers were Steve Quinn, Larry Simms, Greg Quinn, and Brent and Shawn Simms. A private inurnment will be held at a later date at Springhill Cemetery in Metcalfe.
Donations to the Kemptville District Hospital or the Alzheimer Society would be appreciated by the family.