VAN HEES, Gerardina “Gerry”

Gerry passed away peacefully in her 96th year on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ontario.

She was predeceased by her parents, Harrie Werten and Maria van Oosterom, brothers Cor, Piet, and Toon, and sisters Elisabeth and Nelly, all in The Netherlands. Her beloved husband, George van Hees, passed away in 2007 after they celebrated 56 years of marriage.

Dear mother of Ed (LeAnn) van Hees of Timmins, Harry (Chris) van Hees of Cobourg, and Tim (Deborah) van Hees of London. Oma will be sadly missed by her six grandchildren, Heather (Stewart), Gregory (Judy), Sarah (Craig), Michael (Jacqueline), Stephen (April), and Kristina (David), three bonus grandchildren, Adric, Bastian (Hannah) and Trinity, five great-grandchildren Luke, Makayla, Nathan, Harriet, Parker, two bonus great-grandchildren Madeline and Jackson, and her extended family in The Netherlands and Canada. She is survived by her sisters Ann (Leo) of Peterborough, Julia of The Netherlands, and her sister-in-law Marianne of Ottawa.

Gerry was born in the City of Grave in The Netherlands and immigrated to Canada with her husband and three children, where she lived in Courtice, Oshawa, Whitby, and Cobourg. She worked for many years in the healthcare field as a Registered Nursing Assistant (RNA). In her spare time, she enjoyed camping, traveling, and knitting. Gerry was a very generous and loving person. She loved celebrating Christmas with her family and would begin shopping many months in advance in order to spoil her family.

The family would like to thank all the nurses and doctors who cared for our mother / Oma over the past several months at Northumberland Hills Hospital, Peterborough Hospital, and Toronto General Hospital.

A private celebration of life and interment service will occur in the spring at Thornton Funeral Centre 1200 Thornton Road North Oshawa, Ontario L1J 0C9. Instead of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a financial donation in her name to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “https://www.sickkids.ca/en/support-sickkids/donate/”.