Obituary of Henk Van Giessen

Van Giessen, Hendrik "Henk"

The Lord took unto Himself his loving and faithful servant Henk Van Giessen, a resident of Chatham, on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 91 years of age.

Born in Poederooyen, The Netherlands on January 9, 1928 to the late Adrianus & Adriana (nee Lolkus) Van Giessen. 

Beloved husband of 62 years to the late Bastiana "Jane" (nee Branderhorst, 2012).

Dear father of Janet Groenewegen (Pete) of Blenheim, the late Adrian Van Giessen (2016) (Barb) of Waterloo & Annie VanderLeek (Gordon) of Calgary. He is predeceased by an infant son (1953).

He was grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 5.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Jaantje & Cor. 

He will be missed by many nieces, nephews, & the Branderhorst family.

Henk immigrated to Canada in 1949, settling in Chatham to establish a home for Jane. They married in 1950, and raised their three children; Janet, Adrian & Annie with love. He exemplified his love for his Saviour and was a good example of a life led by Christ. He adored Jane and set a wonderful example of a Christian marriage. 

Henk was General Manager at Sass Manufacturing, retiring in 1992 after 43 years of Service. Henk shared his leadership skills and sage advice in local community volunteer roles, Chatham Christian School and his church. He was instrumental in the founding of the school, the building and expansion projects. This was driven from an unwavering desire to see that all children would have the opportunity to have a Christian education available to them.  

He loved gardening, fishing, golf & traveling. In his later years, he spent his retirement creating beautiful woodworking projects. He was self taught and was never afraid to try new things. 

He loved to play with his grandchildren and teach them new things. 

Henk was creative, humble, stubborn, smart, loving, God fearing, teasing, story-telling, handsome, wise, dignified, & loyal. But beyond these positive attributes, he was dedicated to his family and there was never a question that he would be there for them no matter what. Henk and Jane were great hosts and always welcomed family and friends to their home. 

Family to receive friends on Thursday, July 4, 2019 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham. A Memorial Service will take place on Friday at Living Hope Free Reformed Church, 159 Gregory Drive East, Chatham at 12:00 pm with visitation at 11:30 am until Service Time. Private Family Interment to take place in Maple Leaf Cemetery. 

In memory of Henk, donations may be made to the Tuition Assistance Fund (TAF) at the Chatham Christian School.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com. 

McKinlay Funeral Home
459 St. Clair Street,
Chatham
519 351 2040