Losing Uncle Jan
I got the kind of call at work today that you just never want to get. It was my mom at the other end not sounding very happy at all saying there was bad news. My cousin Arco had just called to let us know that his father, my uncle Jan, had passed away.
They think he had a heart attack... they are not sure when. Jan did not show up for work on Monday or Tuesday and people started to get worried. The police went to check on him and he was found in his apartment. That part makes me sad... I wish he wasn't alone... I wish there was somebody there to call an ambulance. I wonder if they are going to find me like that one day.
Uncle Jan was DEFINITELY my closest relative on my dad's side of the family. My dad moved to Canada from Holland in his early twenties and married my mother in Canada. After the wedding the family went to Holland few times to meeet all of our relatives and cousins, and the family in Holland made a few trips to Canada - but Uncle Jan MOVED to Canada and even moved in with my parents for a few years. I was already out of the house by then but my little brother Kent was still at home and was Jan's roommate in the basement at my parents home.
Jan was a happy, eccentric man when he arrived. There was a joke that you better not go for a walk with Uncle Jan because everyone who did came back "in love" (even if they were related!) it was odd to say the least but still kind of funny. My Uncle Jan eventually married his cousin Joan - it was a memorable ceremony like none I had ever been to before - it was Ba'hai and there was no booze... well at MOST of the tables... at our table me and my dutch cousins had figured out a way to "spice up" our beverages! It was a nice ceremony and a really great day.
The relationship broke down after a few years and as I said Jan decided to stay in Calgary and moved into my parents basement. My brother Kent was in his EARLY twenties at the time and it was funny that he was now sharing his space with his eccentric dutch uncle who had a habit of hanging around the house in his tighty whitey underwear - it was humorous for us (not so much for Kent) when he would bring friends and girls home after the bar. Jan also shared a passion for singing with my dad. I remember walking into my parents home and hearing the two of them downstairs on the organ practicing away (bright and early right outside my brothers bedroom door lol). I saw bits of Jan in my dad and bits of my dad's personality in Jan. They were close brothers and while they disagreed about quite a few things they sure enjoyed each other and you could see and hear the love! Jan was a smart man - he read a lot - he studied SO many things (both practical and spiritual) - he had unique tastes for fancy ports and unfiltered cigars - could be so happy and so grumpy depending on when you caught him - undeniably he was passionate... and we will miss him!
Rest in Peace Uncle Jan... I hope you are somewhere much better than this world... and I hope you are sitting with Oma, Opa, Uncle Pim, and his little sister Alli (1) somewhere enjoying their company and having a beer. You were loved and you will be missed terribly.
They think he had a heart attack... they are not sure when. Jan did not show up for work on Monday or Tuesday and people started to get worried. The police went to check on him and he was found in his apartment. That part makes me sad... I wish he wasn't alone... I wish there was somebody there to call an ambulance. I wonder if they are going to find me like that one day.
Uncle Jan was DEFINITELY my closest relative on my dad's side of the family. My dad moved to Canada from Holland in his early twenties and married my mother in Canada. After the wedding the family went to Holland few times to meeet all of our relatives and cousins, and the family in Holland made a few trips to Canada - but Uncle Jan MOVED to Canada and even moved in with my parents for a few years. I was already out of the house by then but my little brother Kent was still at home and was Jan's roommate in the basement at my parents home.
Jan was a happy, eccentric man when he arrived. There was a joke that you better not go for a walk with Uncle Jan because everyone who did came back "in love" (even if they were related!) it was odd to say the least but still kind of funny. My Uncle Jan eventually married his cousin Joan - it was a memorable ceremony like none I had ever been to before - it was Ba'hai and there was no booze... well at MOST of the tables... at our table me and my dutch cousins had figured out a way to "spice up" our beverages! It was a nice ceremony and a really great day.
The relationship broke down after a few years and as I said Jan decided to stay in Calgary and moved into my parents basement. My brother Kent was in his EARLY twenties at the time and it was funny that he was now sharing his space with his eccentric dutch uncle who had a habit of hanging around the house in his tighty whitey underwear - it was humorous for us (not so much for Kent) when he would bring friends and girls home after the bar. Jan also shared a passion for singing with my dad. I remember walking into my parents home and hearing the two of them downstairs on the organ practicing away (bright and early right outside my brothers bedroom door lol). I saw bits of Jan in my dad and bits of my dad's personality in Jan. They were close brothers and while they disagreed about quite a few things they sure enjoyed each other and you could see and hear the love! Jan was a smart man - he read a lot - he studied SO many things (both practical and spiritual) - he had unique tastes for fancy ports and unfiltered cigars - could be so happy and so grumpy depending on when you caught him - undeniably he was passionate... and we will miss him!
Rest in Peace Uncle Jan... I hope you are somewhere much better than this world... and I hope you are sitting with Oma, Opa, Uncle Pim, and his little sister Alli (1) somewhere enjoying their company and having a beer. You were loved and you will be missed terribly.
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