Our beloved Mother, Oma, Sister, Tante (Aunt) and Friend, Annette (Anneke) van Vliet-Cappon passed away peacefully on April 18th, 2021 in Montreal and went to be with her Lord.
Predeceased by her parents Jannis and Elizabeth Cappon, sister Anna Stech and sister-in-law Gerdina Cappon. Anneke was the loving mother of Elsa (George), Mark (Poppy), Cynthia (Suresh) and Renata (Ken). She was blessed with seven grandchildren: Katryna, Monika, Rachel, Devanand (Maisha), Joshua, James and Rebecca. She leaves her two dear brothers, John (Helen) and Jacob, and many treasured nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members and friends.
Anneke was born on March 6, 1924 in the small town of Groede in Zeeland, The Netherlands; the oldest of four children in a close-knit faith-filled home (of Huguenot tradition). In the 1930s the family moved to Winschoten and then to Amsterdam as her father was an elementary school principal. The war time in Amsterdam was difficult, and with no food or fuel in 1944, Anneke took her two brothers by bicycle through war-torn Holland to her aunt’s farm in the northern part of the country. The trip was challenging and took several days; she wrote postcards to her parents and sent them back with other travellers for her parents. After the war, Anneke studied Home Economics and enjoyed teaching future teachers as well as students. In 1953 she married Karel van Vliet and together they raised four children. In 1959 they immigrated to Minneapolis, Minnesota and she changed her name to Annette. In 1969 the family moved to Montreal, Canada. Annette was an active home-maker, church volunteer and member of the University Women’s Association. She loved being a mother and often said the love of her children helped her through life’s difficulties. In 1979 she went back to school and obtained her Canadian Home Economics degree from McGill University and enjoyed teaching Home Economics at a high school until she retired in 1991. She was involved with her church in the prayer group, where they prayed for persons in need. She often visited elderly members of the church who were in hospital or long-term care residences.
Annette’s home was always open to visitors, family and friends. She loved being Oma (Grandmother) with many family gatherings and get togethers. Buffets were her favourite because you can try a bit of everything. Annette was interested in peoples’ stories, books, travels, food, clothes, music and painting. She loved spending time with her sister Annie and together they travelled throughout Europe, went on several cruises and educational elder hostel trips. Annette walked outside every day, to many places, for as long as she could. She studied painting; both oil and water colour, and made many beautiful paintings of nature and the outdoors. In her later years she continued to play piano and the harmonica. Even when she became frail, she stayed strong in her faith and shared her love of life warmly. Annette had a gentle caring spirit coupled with optimism and joy. She saw beauty in life, enjoyed many good times and had a wonderful sense of humour, sometimes laughing until there were tears in her eyes. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her family and friends.
Special thanks to dear friend Nina Baja for her loving and steadfast friendship over the decades. Heartfelt thanks to Annette’s private caregiver, Camille Tan-Castro for her outstanding and tender care, as she made each day special. Thanks as well, to the staff at St Margaret’s Residence for their kindness and support.
Annette told her children that she prayed to be a blessing to others, and she was. She shared that one of her favorite Bible verses was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.
A private funeral will be held on Wednesday, April 28th at 2 pm in the chapel of the Mount Royal Funeral Complex. Due to the current pandemic regulations, we are restricted with the number of on-site guests allowed. You are welcome to join us on livestream or watch the service at a later time via this link; https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/28490.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity of your choice is appreciated.