Harry DeJong
February 6th, 2014
Harry was born in the Netherlands in 1932 where he grew up on a dairy farm. In 1947, after World War II, he immigrated to Canada with his parents and siblings. They settled in the Abbotsford area and established themselves in the local farming industry. In 1950 Harry met his future wife, Ann. They were married in 1954 and started their lives together on a dairy farm in Deroche where Harry successfully built his farming business. While they lived there, Harry and Ann had four children: Joan, Colleen, Ted and Valerie. In the spring of 1962 they moved to Matsqui, continued dairy farming and welcomed their fifth child, Cameron, to the family.
Harry was grateful for all that Canada had done to liberate the Netherlands during WWII and as a result he had a strong desire to contribute to his community and his new country. He served on the church council and the Abbotsford Christian School Board. He also served as a Director for the MSA General Hospital (now the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Center), the Matsqui Pool Association and the Matsqui Police Board. With the encouragement of many in the Matsqui community Harry ran for political office serving as alderman (1971 – 1975) and Mayor (1975-1987) for the District of Matsqui. In 1987 Harry was elected MLA for the Social Credit Party. He served in Victoria for several years including a position as Minister of Agriculture and Aquaculture. Following his retirement from politics he continued to contribute to the community in many ways: the Agri-Fair Association being one of his favourite organizations where he served as President for many years. In 2013 Harry was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service to the community. In all areas of service, Harry has been lauded for his honesty, integrity and compassion.
Harry treasured time spent with family. He enjoyed working, fishing, travelling and socializing with his immediate and extended family. Birthday and anniversary celebrations honoring family members were opportunities to give thanks to God for His goodness. Harry’s life was characterized by his love for the Lord, his love for his wife and family, and his love for the community.
Harry was pre-deceased by his parents, Tienus and Jeltje, and his older brother, John. He is survived by his wife, Ann; daughters Joan (Tom) LeMahieu, Colleen (Bryan) Gingerich, Valerie (Gerald) Veltkamp; sons Ted (Greta) DeJong and Cameron (Angela) DeJong; 9 Grandchildren: DJ (Jordan Freeman) LeMahieu, Denver (Naomi Barrettara) Gingerich, Travis Gingerich, Jonathan Veltkamp, Breanna Veltkamp, Tyler (Stephanie) DeJong, Jared DeJong, Lexi DeJong and Kasi DeJong; 3 great-grandchildren Lily, Willow and Henry DeJong; 3 brothers Henry (Tieny), Ted (Ida) and Ed (Rhea) DeJong, and 5 sisters Jenny Jansen, Ann (Albert) Kampman, Corrie(Bill) Kampman, Gert Hoogendoorn, Alice (John) Dieleman; as well as many nieces and nephews.
The family is very grateful for Dr. Bull, the nurses, staff, and volunteers at Cascade Hospice (Chilliwack) for the loving care they provided to Harry in his final days.
A memorial service to celebrate Harry’s life will be held, Thursday, February 13th at 2:00pm at Gateway Community Christian Reformed Church, 2884 Gladis Ave, Abbotsford.
Donations in memory of Harry may be made to: Food for the Hungry, FH Canada www.fhcanada.org or the Abbotsford Christian School Endowment Fund www.abbotsfordchristian.com.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence for the family.
Messages:
Mrs de Jong, and Family, Our condolences with the loss of your husband and father. May knowing that your husband is now with our Lord Jesus forever give you the strength to make it thru this difficult time. We are praying for you.
Praying for you in the days ahead.Ann you and your family were so kind to us at Hospice and Steve always appreciated your kind words.Hope to see you again someday. Mel Carol Steve
We know Harry as an extremely honest and dedicated man, both to his family and his community. His faith and his values are such an example for us. Harry and Ann were a close loving couple who were a gift to all who knew them. We will miss him greatly. Our condolences and prayers to all his beautiful family. Tony & Rosemary Van Rosmalen, Winnipeg, MB
We are sorry to hear of your loss. Deepest sympathy from the Mount Lehman Taylors.
Anne and Family: Please accept our heart-felt condolences. Our country has lost a great patriot; our province has lost a great servant; our city has lost a great leader; and you have lost a loving provider. We are currently out of town so we will not be able to join the throngs at the memorial service but we want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. I know that the family resilience will carry the day. Harry was my mentor. During my term as Mayor, Sylvia and I always strived to be as elegant and friendly as Harry and Anne. We will try to make contact in the near future. George & Sylvia
I was sad to learn of the passing of Harry DeJong. Having served as an MLA in Victoria during October 1986 to October 1991, I got to know Harry. It was a pleasure to work with a person who was so dedicated to his family and service to the community. He was a quiet man known for his compassion and integrity. My thoughts go to Ann and the family.
Our warmest supporting thoughts are with you Ann, and the rest of the family. Through the years of knowing Harry in both business, community and friendship we've always had the greatest respect for the qualities he upheld and what he stood for. He will be missed, but not forgotten. Keith & Karen Hagen
"With the recent passing of Harry DeJong, Abbotsford has lost a strong community leader and citizen who made a lasting mark on our city. During his time in office, Harry made a significant political and social contribution, helping to shape Abbotsford through his vision and commitment to public service. Following his departure from politics, Harry continued to serve our community as a volunteer, providing significant leadership and direction in his role as a director for AgriFair. His achievements will continue to inspire our community well into the future. On behalf of Abbotsford City Council, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Harry's wife Ann and the members of their family."
I was deeply saddened by the news of Harry's passing. Harry gave so much to our community. He will forever be remembered and respected for his outstanding service, dedication, commitment, and loyalty in this community. To The Family: Please accept my heart felt sympathies for your loss. Harry always looked forward to the family times. He was so proud of his family! At this sad and difficult time my thoughts and prayers will be with you all. To Ann: I know that during this time of sadness you are surrounded by your family May the sorrow you are feeling in your heart be lightened by the love that surrounds you. I know that this love will help you through the days ahead. What I am feeling right now is hard to put into words, and although no words can really help to ease your loss, just know that you are very close in my thoughts and prayers. I pray that God will give you the strength to see you through this difficult time. Your husband was an exceptional person. I will be forever grateful for knowing him. He was a great man and a great friend.
Our condolences to Auntie Ann, Joan, Colleen, Ted, Valerie, Cameron and families. Uncle Harry was a man who did so much, for both family and community. I will always gratefully remember his support and assistance to my parents when we lost Dave. May you rest in peace now. Norm, Audrey, Adriana, Brandon & Ella Thom.
Harry was my Mom's (Anne Beetstra Smith) cousin. She always spoke fondly of all her DE JONG cousins! Mom passed away in 1994 but I am currently compiling a Family History book of all the descendants and ancestors of Johannes DE JONG & Antje CNOSSEN. I would love to hear from some of the descendants of Harry DE JONG and to update my information regarding this branch of the family. Also, there will be a DE JONG family reunion in July 2016 and we are hoping to have representatives from all of the DE JONG-CNOSSEN descendants attend! Please accept my heart-felt condolences on the loss of Harry De Jong; he was a great contributor to his community and will be sorely missed. You can email me at: claireburns@telus.net