Magdelena Elizabeth Hogewoning
November 8th, 2023
HOGEWONING, Magdelena Elizabeth.
On November 8, 2023, Magda Hogewoning passed away peacefully after a brief and intense illness. The oldest daughter born into her family, Magda exemplified loyalty, sincerity, professionalism, and generosity throughout her life. Family meant everything to Magda, and she adored her siblings, nieces, nephews, and extended family, both in Canada and the Netherlands, who knew her for her quiet presence. Magda’s career began in 1971 when she was hired as a teller for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) where she enjoyed more than 30 years employed in various capacities. Later, Magda worked an additional 12 years for the Federation of Independent Schools Association (FISA) where she was recognized for proficiency in office management and for excellence in working, as she always preferred, ‘behind the scenes’ in order to advance the work of those around her. Magda’s strong faith was evident in the way that she modelled her life after that of her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by serving and loving others in her church and in the broader community. In her early life, Magda was preceded in death by her brother Casey (1969) and her mother, Catharine (1972), and later by many other loved ones as well. Magda leaves to mourn her death her siblings Nick (Evelyn), Jenny, Gerda (Mike), Jackie (Mike), Jeffrey (Laura), Ken (Amanda), and Angela (Brad), along with their children and grandchildren; her uncle, Gerrit Hogewoning, and dear ones (in the Netherlands); and a host of friends and neighbours nearby who loved and will miss her dearly.
Magda’s memorial service was held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 1:00pm at New Westminster Christian Reformed Church. A live stream recording of the service is available here: https://youtube.com/live/HWdbp1KjWxE.
Messages:
Magda was central to the FISA office when Peter Froese was ED and it was a rich time of learning for me in my new role as ED of the ISABC. I will remember Magda for her genuine interest, care for others, and compassion. And in the workplace, her devastating efficiency and service were her hallmarks. She is one of the people who knew exactly what to say when we lost our beloved daughter, Erin, at almost 8 years old (she had lost a young sibling herself). She always came to our annual celebration of life at Erin's Enchanted Forest in December and her presence was missed dearly this year. She was one of our honoured guests at our twins' 2nd and 3rd birthday gatherings, Erin's sibling successor blessings to our family. She was one of the few people who adhered to our request for 'no gifts'. The following year she brought a 'double gift' because everybody else ignored our request and had brought gifts the previous year - that touched me greatly! She always took time to talk, connect with me, and show interest in our growing family. She is one of the pillars of a rich time in FISA's history. I miss her immensely. Elizabeth Moore
I had the pleasure of working alongside Magda for several years at FISA. As mentioned in Magda's obituary, she was extremely intelligent and precise in her work but also shared with her co-workers a witty sense of humour and a real interest in your life outside of work. Magda was always interested in the happenings of my children and I always enjoyed her stories about her family and friends. As a committed Christian, Magda lived a purposeful life and maintained a strong bond with her beloved Church community. I felt blessed and inspired attending Magda's celebration of life alongside her family and many friends, in a place where Magda experienced great hope and love. I miss Magda and treasure my memories of her and offer blessings to her family as they mourn their loss, Shawn
Ruth and I were shocked to hear that Magda had passed away. We had been planning another lunch engagement that never happened. Magda became much more than a professional colleague at FISABC over the eight years that we worked together. Our professional friendship saw us help one another is areas where we had some expertise. I recall visiting car dealerships to help her buy a new car. She wanted a nice car but didn't know what to ask about it's specifications. I needed help on connecting my computer to various apps and Magda always figured out how to do that for me. Others have already commented on her love of family and her desire to ensure that details on independent schools and the FISA board meetings were accurately recorded. She was definitely the person behind the scenes who enabled FISA to experience numerous successes in government policy by locating important documents needed to support our requests. In her own quiet way, Magda was the glue that kept the FISA office as an important connection for the five associations. She will be remembered as a diligent worker, excellent on details, caring of others and respectful of everyone who needed FISA's help. My thoughts are with her family as they reflect on the memory of Magda. Until we meet again.