April 28, 1933 - April 8, 2023
Johan P. Vandergeest died peacefully at home, daughters at his side, on April 8, 2023. Johan was born in Jakarta, Indonesia to Dutch colonists Jitze and Fim. He survived the atrocities of prison camps in the region during WWII; this experience would shape his life from that point forward. At the end of the war the family journeyed under the care of the Red Cross to their homeland the Netherlands, where Johan and surviving siblings were then required to work to support the family. In spite of this, Johan achieved high school graduation, then studied as a draftsman. He moved to Canada, settled in Kitimat, BC and married Elisabeth, his devoted life partner. There, their three children Marian, Sandra and Erick were born. In 1976, they moved here to this then small oceanside village of Gibsons. Though life was not always easy for him, the fact Johan lived to days short of his 90th birthday speaks to the tenacity and grit with which he navigated life.
He is survived by his two daughters, Marian and Sandra (John), and daughter-in-law Cathy. Predeceased by wife Elisabeth and son Erick. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Red Cross are requested with gratitude.
