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Janis Arajs
March 5, 1920 - July 20, 2014
Jānis Arājs
Jānis Arājs died Sunday, July 20, 2014 at the Gibson Long Term Care home in Toronto. He was 94 years old.
Jānis is mourned by his daughter Solveiga (Woychuk) in the United States and his immediate relatives in Toronto, Calgary, Powell River B.C. and Seattle.
He was the last brother in the Arājs family--all of whom had settled in the Toronto area. The family immigrated to Canada after fleeing Latvia during World War II. Janis was preceded in death by his brother Peter who died during the war, by his mother Līze in 1956, and most recently by his twin brother Andrējs, brother Kārlis and lastly, sisters Lidija (Gertners) and Marta (Roze).
Jānis had a varied life. He was married briefly to Tabita Jaunzemis and lived in the United States for some years before eventually returning to Canada. He lived for a short period in Bolivia while serving at the jungle mission and school Rincon del Tigre, and also in São Paulo, Brazil, with his twin brother’s family.
Jānis was a devout Christian and longtime member of the Toronto Latvian Baptist congregation. His church family, friends and relatives in Canada and the United States, Latvia and elsewhere, will miss his humility, his sincerity, his passion for poetry and books and his gentle humour.
Jānis Arājs died Sunday, July 20, 2014 at the Gibson Long Term Care home in Toronto. He was 94 years old.
Jānis is mourned by his daughter Solveiga (Woychuk) in the United States and his immediate relatives in Toronto, Calgary, Powell River B.C. and Seattle.
He was the last brother in the Arājs family--all of whom had settled in the Toronto area. The family immigrated to Canada after fleeing Latvia during World War II. Janis was preceded in death by his brother Peter who died during the war, by his mother Līze in 1956, and most recently by his twin brother Andrējs, brother Kārlis and lastly, sisters Lidija (Gertners) and Marta (Roze).
Jānis had a varied life. He was married briefly to Tabita Jaunzemis and lived in the United States for some years before eventually returning to Canada. He lived for a short period in Bolivia while serving at the jungle mission and school Rincon del Tigre, and also in São Paulo, Brazil, with his twin brother’s family.
Jānis was a devout Christian and longtime member of the Toronto Latvian Baptist congregation. His church family, friends and relatives in Canada and the United States, Latvia and elsewhere, will miss his humility, his sincerity, his passion for poetry and books and his gentle humour.