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Hendricus Johannes Vis
May 10, 1929 – December 23, 2021
Funeral Home Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel
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HENDRICUS JOHANNES VIS
MAY 10, 1929 – DECEMBER 23, 2021
Hendricus, (Henk) was born May 10, 1929 in Ter Aar, The Netherlands and is predeceased by his wife of 59 years Elisabeth (Veraart); daughter Judy; parents William and Margaret; brothers John, Harry and Peter. He is survived by his brother William; sisters Rita, Gertrude and Margaret; children, Jacqueline Siver (Virchel), Rosemary Vis Podwin, George (Michelle), Rita Vis Dube, Elisabeth MacCharles (Quentin) and James (Meghan); grandchildren Jennifer, Heather, Carolyn, Daniel, Matthew, Sara, Kira, Leanne, Jayden, Jaime, Riley, Lindsay, Julia, Adam, Brendan, Lauren and great grandchildren Ariana, Austen, Oakley, Hayden, Houstyn and Grady.
Growing up during the Depression and WWII, Henk, the oldest, and his siblings benefited from their entrepreneurial father who provided well for them and stressed a good education. Henk learned his flour milling trade at the Wageningen college in the Netherlands but joining the family business was put on hold when Henk joined the Dutch army for his mandatory service in 1947. It was while Henk was stationed in Indonesia, that he learned of his father’s plans to immigrate to Canada.
It was in Canada that Henk was able to apply his trade skills and in 1951 join Feed-Rite Mills in Winnipeg where he spent his entire working career and ultimately became a partner in the company. In addition to milling skills, Henk’s passions were building and trading. Henk was responsible for building ten livestock feed mills and helping to build Feed-Rite into one of the largest feed companies in Canada. Henk was also the commodity trader for the company and one of Henk’s gifts was driving a hard bargain yet retaining the respect of everyone he dealt with. Henk had an outstanding reputation throughout the feed industry and the respect of customers, employees, and suppliers.
It was in Canada that Henk met his partner for life, Elisabeth, also from the Netherlands. She came for a brief visit with her sister in Canada but after a short return home, she decided to come back to Canada to be with Henk. Together they raised their six children and provided to them all the opportunities available. Like his father, Henk’s priority was education. Henk’s work often took him away from home and he worked long hours, however, Henk and Elisabeth provided unwavering support for their children.
After the sale of Feed-Rite and his retirement in 1994, Henk’s full attention turned to his children, grandchildren, and his cottage at the Lake of the Woods. Henk purchased the cottage in 1976 as a place for his family to get away and enjoy time together. His cottage became his sanctuary; his place to rest, to think, to plan and to be surrounded by his family. He passed that love of LOTW to his children and grandchildren who all cherish the gift that Henk started. Henk built a foundation for his family in Canada that will benefit them for generations.
Our family would like to express our sincere thanks for the compassionate care provided by the staff at Misericordia Place as well as Jaja, his caregiver and the rest of the Home Instead team.
Donations can be made to the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation.
Due to Health restrictions, a private family mass and burial will be held on January 4, 2022, 10am. Live streaming of the funeral may be seen through the link at www.stvitalparish.ca.
Arrangements by Wojcik’s Funeral Chapels at www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Hendricus Johannes Vis May 10 1929 December 23 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Winnipeg, Province: Manitoba