Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Quebec for funeral details
It is with profound sadness we announce that in her 89th year, our much loved mother, Oma, great-grandmother and friend, Petronella Deheer-Jansen, slipped away peacefully, surrounded by family on Saturday, March 4th.
Nelly was predeceased by husband Harry (1992), her partner Joop (John) Houtman (2019), and her four siblings, and will be lovingly remembered by her children Johanna (Alain), Annette (Walter), Jennifer, Ron (Cindy) and Katherine (Luigi), her 7 grandchildren: Stephanie, Melissa, Jacintha, Sebastien, Andrea, Karina and Lucas, 3 great-grandchildren (Ellie, Bennie and Skylar) and several Dutch nephews and nieces. She will also be dearly missed by her numerous friends at Residence Mary-Elizabeth Noonan and the 55+ Centre in Chateauguay.
Born in Alkmaar, Holland, Nelly exuded a characteristic no-nonsense, outspoken attitude all her life. At 40, she pursued a high school certificate so she could get her RN equivalency in Quebec. She sat for the French exam six times before she finally passed it; talk about persistence! As a nurse for over 50 years, a job she loved, she devoted herself unabashedly to her patients.
Nelly adored travel, music, reading, ballroom dancing, walking, and playing Scrabble and cribbage, until macular degeneration began to slow her down – but, above all, Nelly loved people, and there were few who didn’t know her for her outgoingness.
Our mom and Oma was a quirky individual, who never ceased to startle and amuse with her observations of people and life in general. She loved to remind us, when one of us was experiencing a rough patch: “Don’t vurry – everythink iss ‘temporarily’!” She was a role model whom we could always count on.
A memorial gathering will be held between 3:00 and 6:00 pm, on Saturday, March 11th at the Yves Légaré Complex in Chateauguay, 123 Maple street.
A private burial to be held with Nelly’s family at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Montreal Association for the Blind (7000 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R2) in Nelly’s name would be greatly appreciated.
The family also wishes to send a special thank-you to the kind staff in the ICU and Palliative care units at Anna-Laberge Hospital.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Petronella Deheer 1934- 2023..
Death notice for the town of: Anjou, Province: Quebec
death notice Petronella Deheer 1934- 2023
mortuary notice Petronella Deheer 1934- 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Petronella Deheer 1934- 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
To the Deheer family: I count my blessings to have had your mum in my life since childhood. A truly dedicated, caring, fun-loving person who will no doubt be missed by so many. I’m very sorry for your loss.