Obituary for Bert de Roo
On February 22, 2018, Lambertus (Bert) Lukas de Roo died
peacefully at University Hospital, London, ON from a postsurgical
infection at the age of 64. Born May 16, 1953, he was
the son of Dutch immigrants, Lukas and Hinderkien. He caught a
ride in his mother’s belly on the boat. He grew up in West Hill
suburb of Toronto. He heard the voice of God calling him into
Christian ministry while pumping gas. So he entered the Baptist
Leadership Training School, Calgary. Here he met his best friend
and wife of 40 years, Evelyn Ward from Winnipeg. He was the
first in his family to graduate University (BA,York, 1979, MDiv,
MacMaster, 1982). Their children, Katharina (Katie) 1983 and
Lukas, 1986 were born in Ottawa. He served at First Baptist
Church, London, ON and Blythwood Road Baptist, Toronto and
prison ministry “Project Reconciliation”, Kingston, ON as a
student minister. Ordained in 1983 in the Baptist Convention of
Ontario and Quebec, he served Eastview/Clarence pastoral
charge in Ottawa and Trinity Baptist Church, Petrolia, ON. Bert
liked to build things: tree forts, dune buggies, cottage additions,
and so to satisfy the fascination to create with his hands he took
a picture framing course. In 1982 he bought his first Apple
computer and was hooked. He combined these two things in
1983 when he started writing a program to price custom picture
frames in his little shop in the basement of the Ottawa
parsonage. His last pastorate was a bi-vocational ministry along
with owning The Master’s Touch Picture Framing in Petrolia. The
software became his passion and was officially launched in 1995
as “FrameReady Point of Sale Software” when he had the
audacity and courage to attend his first trade show. In 1998, Bert
pursued developing software full time by beginning SoftTouch
Solutions Inc and finding a new flock to shepherd. The coolest
thing he ever built was his business. A good day at work for him
was designing a solution for a unique challenge presented by a
client and then giving that benefit to all his software users.
FrameReady now has thousands of users in 10 countries. The
Professional Picture Framers Association awarded him the
highest industry honour with its technology award in 2012. He
was highly praised as hard-working, honest and kind, a man full
of integrity. On January 31, 2018 Bert and Ev sold the business
insuring that FrameReady would be advanced to the next
generation. Bert skillfully renovated their 118 year old home right
from the bones. He was on the inaugural Board of Directors of
Habitat for Humanity Sarnia/Lambton. He had many fun times
with Petrolia Community Theatre and volunteered at Christ
Church, Anglican. In the summers he and Ev moved to their
happy place, Gimli, MB where he played tennis, welded
recumbent trikes, sailed and tasted semi-retirement. Bert fulfilled
his life-long dream of learning to play the piano at age 62. He
was a gentle soul with a questing, curious spirit.
Mourning him are his beloved wife, Evelyn Ward de Roo, children
Katie (Tom), London, ON and Lukas (Chloe), Buderim, Australia.
The “little guys” he loved most, his grandsons, Ben and Teddy,
will miss their Opa terribly. Predeceased by his parents and
brother Hank (2017) and survived by sisters Swanja de Jong,
Ankie Hewett and Margaret Gabriel.
Donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity Sarnia/Lambton,
1787 London Line, Sarnia, Ontario, N7T 7H2.,
www.habitatsarnia.org
Visitors will be received at the Needham-Jay Funeral Home, Petrolia on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be celebrated on Monday, March 5, 2018 at 2 p.m. from Christ Church Anglican, Oil St., Petrolia. Interment to follow in Hillsdale Cemetery.
Manitoba friends, please join us for a celebration of Bert’s life in
Gimli in early summer.
To send flowers to the family of Bert de Roo please visit our Sympathy Store.
Upcoming Events
Visitation
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MAR 4.
02:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Needham-Jay Funeral Home
4059 Petrolia Line
Petrolia, ON, CA, N0N 1R0
www.needhamjay.com/
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Visitation
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MAR 4.
07:00 PM – 09:00 PM
Needham-Jay Funeral Home
4059 Petrolia Line
Petrolia, ON, CA, N0N 1R0
www.needhamjay.com/
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Visitation begins.
Funeral Service
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MAR 5.
02:00 PM
Christ Church Anglican
414 Oil St.
Petrolia, ON, CA, N0N 1R0
www.ccstj.ca
Order Flowers for the Funeral Service
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Funeral Service begins.
Cemetery Details
Hillsdale Cemetery
3725 Petrolia Line
Petrolia, ON, N0N 1R0
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Bert de Roo May 16 1953 February 22 2018.source
Death notice for the town of: Petrolia, Province: Ontario