Ary Jacob Kalkman
September 1, 1937
– October 26, 2022
Ary Jacob Kalkman, age
85, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed
away peacefully on October 26, 2022, with his wife, Margaret, by his
side.
Born September 1, 1937
in Holland to Golientje (Holleman) and Walter Kalkman; Ary spent his
youth in Hoogvliet in occupied Holland, before immigrating to Canada
in 1952. With many other Dutch immigrants, they crossed the Atlantic
aboard the Groote Beer, landing at Pier 21 in Halifax. He loved Canada
with its wide-open spaces and the sea. Ary returned to Holland only
once, with his three daughters, in 2012 to visit his childhood home
and celebrate his 75th birthday.
It was in Halifax
where he would meet his wife of 63 years, Margaret (Pickard). The
couple married October 3, 1959, at the United Church in Kentville, NS
and settled into the community, where they would build a life and
raise their family. Destined to be surrounded by women, he and
Margaret went on to raise three daughters, Wanda, Loretta, and
Jacqueline – followed 50-ish years later by a long-awaited
fur-son, Jake – the dog.
A man of many talents,
Ary trained and excelled in numerous roles, before settling on his
career as a builder. A skilled craftsman and carpenter, he designed
and built unique custom homes, well-loved family cottages, and was
instrumental in the procurement and renovation of the Orchard Valley
United Church. He was well known for his incredible work ethic,
attention to detail, and honest nature – never tiring until
the job was done.
For many years, after
his family was grown and spread far and wide, it was a tradition to
come together to celebrate his birthday on the Labour Day long
weekend. In recent years, those celebrations were held at the family
cottage in East Port L’Hebert. Grampy always made sure there
was plenty of wood for the campfires, rum, and hilarious renditions of
“I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts”, in both
English and Dutch.
Community and faith
were mainstays in his life, acting in many volunteer roles over the
years and always willing to lend a hand where needed. Ary was a
charter member of the Valley Stamp club, on the board of the Valley
Credit Union, involved with the local foodbank, and took on numerous
volunteer roles supporting the church. He especially enjoyed his
visits with his local McDonalds morning coffee club.
Of utmost importance
to Ary was a love for family. He will be fondly remembered for his
sense of humor, ‘creative’ gift giving to his
grandchildren, climbing trees at inappropriate ages, and a love for
stamps that not a single one of his family inherited. He always had a
mischievous sparkle in his eye that we’re sure
‘Mom’ secretly loved. He is loved beyond measure
and will be missed deeply.
Ary is survived by his
wife, Margaret; daughters, Wanda, Loretta, and Jacqueline (Tim
Woodworth); grandchildren, Madison (Dave Jenneson), Tierney (Dean
Hayward), Mallory (Josh Solman), Kristen (Arvin Jain), Bradley (Emma
Bothwell), Maggie, and Emma (Ty Nadolny); great-grandchildren,
Bronwen, Kiehl, Ria, and Aiden – only three days old at the time of
Ary’s passing; sister and brothers, Jane, Tony (Esther) and
Benny; sisters-in-law, Mary Kalkman and Joan Sigston; brothers-in-law,
Billy Pickard (Judy) and Bill Sundman; and Jake, the
dog.
Ary was predeceased by
his sister-in-law, Sharon Sundman and brother-in-law, Ron
Sigston.
A heartfelt thank you
to the many caregivers and support staff of the Borden Lane division
of Shannex Blomidon, who went above and beyond their duty to provide
care and support to both Ary and Margaret.
The funeral service
will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 (with video
webcast), in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville.
Donations in memory
may be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters and Brigadoon Village. Funeral
arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and
Cremation Services, Kentville. For online condolences, inquiries and
to view the webcast, please visit:
www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ary Jacob Kalkman 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia