Con’s Obituary
CON PAPENHUYZEN – died Sunday, February 24, 2019 at age 87 in Flesherton, Ontario where he lived with his beautiful wife, Angela (Plas) Papenhuyzen. Just last week Con and Angela celebrated 33 years of marriage with a fabulous weekend in Elora.
Con, Opa, Oom, Pops lived a very full, active and generous life. He was good-hearted,devout and hard working. He enjoyed life and humour. Con was adventurous and playful with his seven grandchildren, often getting involved in a soccer match or a romp on the trampoline. He was a role model for how to live fully and actively well into one’s eighties. Despite his recent struggles with stroke symptoms, it was clear from his plans that he was planning for a full recovery. Con revelled in beauties of nature and the rural landscape, feeling he had missed his calling as a farmer. His dream came true at age 80 when Angela and Con moved to a Flesherton acreage after 27 years in urban Kitchener. He loved their garden and spent hours a daily weeding,planting,and building rabbit fences. His wish was to die in the garden, wearing his rubber boots.
Con starting running in his fifties, and continued to place in his age group, for example 1st in age70+ in the Ancaster Old Mill 5km and 1st in age 80+ in the Lethbridge Moonlight 6 km. He was an intense cyclist, climaxing in a two-summer cross-Canada cycling trip from Jasper to the east coast at 70. Con retired from engineering at age 65 and returned to work at 71 to fulfill a ‘one year’ contract position that lasted until age 79.
Con was generous, passionate and dedicated in his volunteer roles with Out of the Cold, political campaigning, and spiritual ministries.
Con was pre-deceased by his first wife Kathleen (Wyland) Papenhuyzen. They enjoyed life in Montreal, San Francisco, San Jose, Salt Lake City and Georgetown ON.
He was born in 1931 in Antwerp, Belgium, grew up in The Hague during the war, joined the Dutch Navy, then emigrated to Montreal in his 20s. He is survived by his wife Angela, his children John (and Allison), Cynthia (and Wes), Jane and Shawn (and Lisa) as well as his seven grandchildren, Rebekah, Celeste, Audrey, Joshua, Jacob, Joseph and Jessica.
Con’s wishes for us would be not to mourn his death, but to celebrate life: enjoy some good jazz music, share a bottle of wine or a pint of beer, lobby against injustice,marvel at God’s creation, remember the poor, and keep those rabbits out of the garden.
Celebration of life will be Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 850 Garafraxa North, Durham. Visitation will held in the church prior to the mass beginning at 12:30 p.m. Those who wish to provide donations could remember Con’s favourite charities, The Food Bank or Right to Life. Condolences for the family may be arranged through May Funeral Home, 63 Main St. East Markdale, ON (519-986-3310) www.mayfh.ca.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Con Papenhuyzen February 24 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Markdale, Province: Ontario