de VRIES, Geertruida (Trudy) (nee KROON) - Died peacefully on February 28, 2020.
She was 93.
Trudy was predeceased by her husband of sixty years, Peter, who died six months earlier, in September 2019.
She is survived by her three children: Caroline (Bela), John (Cassandra) and Justin (Nicola) and her six grandchildren (Henriette, Quincy, Hayley, Nikolas, Jacquelyn and Jessica), as well as her brother Ben and her sister Wilhelmina (Willy).
Trudy arrived on the shores of the New World in 1953 full of vigour and with a fierce determination.
She was sponsored over by St. Michael's Hospital as a Nurse after she had trained and worked in the Netherlands and England. She became an RN in Ontario and head nurse at St. Mike's maternity ward; she also worked at Riverdale Isolation Hospital with polio patients.
Trudy left nursing to raise her children and become a homemaker. She was very much the power behind her husband's success.
Trudy was active in her community and made many friends. She volunteered at her church, where she joined the Flora McCree Group and eventually became president of the United Church Women.
She was a founding member of the Milne House Flower Club. Trudy promoted women's rights and empowerment long before it became fashionable and held many progressive views. Trudy brought with her to the New World, her European sensibilities and traditions, which she added to the Canadian mosaic.
Trudy embraced her new home and relished being a Canadian. She loved the open spaces, nature and sense that all things were possible.She fell in love with Georgian Bay in the summer and took great pleasure sitting on the front deck at the cottage or at the beach. Trudy was able to stay in her home until the last few days of her life. Her caregivers, Annabel, Val and Leilani were patient and kind and made her life comfortable to the end. The family thanks them very much for all they did.
The family also thanks Sunnybrook Hospital and staff. Trudy's funeral, followed by a reception will be held at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 11 a.m. Private burial.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Covenant House or the Toronto Botanical Gardens at Edwards Gardens.
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