September 20, 1931 - April 3, 2020
Hendrika Johanna (Maria) Van Loon passed from us while in the care of Hardy View, Grand Forks, British Columbia. Her husband, Jack Lewis, predeceased her in August, 2019.
Maria is survived and greatly missed by her spouse's children (Lynn, Lance, Lorraine) and their families, including five grandchildren who called her "Oma", two great grandsons, good friend Joan, and extended family.
Maria had a fierce spirit and a generous heart, befriending those with whom she worked and encountered in her daily life - people and animals alike. She always had an open kitchen and took great pride in providing coffee, muffins and snacks to those who dropped by, gifting Christmas care packages to friends and family, and offering wonderful canned veggies etc. to everyone.
Maria was born in Middelburg, Holland and lost her mother (Johanna, nee Husken) several weeks after her birth. She grew up in the Netherlands and Belgium. Her father (Wilhelmus) contracted polio and was unable to care for Maria or her siblings Hugh and Jopy. Her youth was unsettled (including survival of the Rotterdam bombing in 1940), was not raised with her siblings but brought up by a number of relations and boarding schools.
Maria emigrated to Canada in 1957 settling in Victoria, B.C. and became a Canadian citizen in 1962. Maria was involved in many businesses, was a trained housekeeper and took pride in her independence. She was a private person, a natural strawberry blond with a fiery temper and would always speak her mind!
Jack and Maria established "Lewma" ranch in the Horsefly area near Williams Lake in 1978, where Maria loved living on the farm and caring for animals. They later lived in other rural properties in the Prince George area. Maria ran the Tabor Arms kitchen in Prince George and became locally famous serving excellent pub food to clientele there. Her meat pies and baked goods were also hit at construction sites and bingo halls.
She and Jack retired to Grand Forks, BC in 1998 and enjoyed the mountains and beautiful vistas in this town and in Christina Lake where they resided for a few years before moving to River Park Estates in 2012. She cherished the friends she made there, her dog-walking days with Buster, and formed a special bond with Rose Del Aguila who loved and cared for her in her final years. Maria is remembered for her cheerful personality, wit and 'all she could give' hugs that let people know how much she loved them.
Thanks from her family to Rose and all the wonderful people who visited Maria during her time in Hardy View. Maria is greatly missed by her family and friends.