Gerardus Johannes Ansems
1940-2020
April 4, 1940
– May 18, 2020
Sadly, Gerard Ansems, 80, of Lakewood Road,
Steam Mill, NS, passed away at the QEII Hospital, Halifax, as a result
of complications following a successful heart surgery. Gerard was born
in Breda, Netherlands (Holland) and immigrated to Canada as a teenager
with his parents, the late Chris Ansems and Johanna (Bastiaansen), and
his 10 siblings to Parkhill, Ontario. He eventually settled in Nova
Scotia to successfully farm for 54 years with his wife Toosey
(deGraaf) and 4 children. Gerard had a passion to do his best in all
aspects of life. He was a livestock grower for 20 years and
for 30 years of growing tobacco, Gerard was a past chairman for the
Flue Cured Tobacco Growers Association, and was a 3 time-grand
champion in the tobacco competitions at the Atlantic Winter Fair
Exhibitions in Halifax. 1993 started the Annual Family Pumpkin
competitions, which sparked his passion to grow giant vegetables;
especially pumpkins, squash, bushel gourds, long gourds, and
watermelons. He was vice president for the AVGVG (Annapolis Valley
Giant Vegetable Growers) and competed in the GPC (Giant Pumpkin
Commonwealth), Glad Gardens in Waterville, Windsor-West Hants Pumpkin
Weigh-Offs and the Hants County Exhibition. Gerard won numerous awards
for giant pumpkins & veggies. His personal best pumpkin was
1727 lbs in 2012, where he placed 11th in the world, earning him a
“1700’s Club” leather jacket from the GPC. In
2016, Gerard placed first in the world-record longest gourd, and in
2018, he grew the 2nd heaviest bushel gourd in the world. In 2019, at
his final competition, the Windsor-West Hants Dill Pumpkin Weigh-Off,
Gerard’s 1st place pumpkin weighed in at 1714 lbs (2nd
personal best). Gerard’s gifted skill of growing giant
vegetables was recognized in Las Vegas this spring when he earned the
2019 title of 3rd place as World GPC Master Gardner. Gerard’s 2020
pumpkin has been planted and will be lovingly tended to by family this
summer, waiting for competition this fall. Over the years Gerard
enjoyed: stock car driving, annual camping trips with family, winter
trips to various sunny locations, bowling, Ken-Wo golfing, playing
cards, word scrabble and weekly dart games. He had several
traveling vacations with the Port Williams group and took tremendous
pride in his beautifully landscaped yard.
Survived by wife Catharina (Toosey
deGraaf); sons, Fred (Shirley), Daniel (Patti) and Randy (Angela); and
daughter Marian (Ben LeMere); grandchildren: Marisa, Rebecca, Kevin,
Megan, Ben, Joshua, Connor Gerard; brothers, Harry (Edith),
Frank (Marilyn) and Casey (Audrey); sisters, Jacoba Geudens (Jos),
Jeannie Merks (Peter Jackson) and Cory Coffin (Gary).
Predeceased by brothers John, Ted, Antoon, and Cornelis (infant),
sister Lucy Vander Vloet, and in-laws John Vander Vloet and Joe
Merks. Special thanks to Drs. Robert
Gunn, Daniel Woo, J.P. McCarthy, Edgar Chedrawy and to the QEII nurses
and doctors in the surgical ward & ICU. Cremation has taken
place. Celebration of Life gathering to be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association,
Valley Regional Hospital or QEII Hospital Foundation.
Funeral
arrangements have been entrusted to the
White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gerardus Johannes Ansems 19402020..
Death notice for the town of: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia