On Thursday, February 26th, Willem den Breejen, with confidence in his faith, passed on to be with his Lord and Saviour. He is survived by his wife Sjoek of 62 years, children Harry (Edna), Judy (Duaine), Sherry, Marietta (John) and Tynke; 8 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; sisters Betty, Truus and Joke; and many nieces, nephews and extended family. Willem is predeceased by his son Jack, brother Siem, and sister Rina.
Willem was born in The Hague, the Netherlands. He studied Marine Engineering, setting sail with the Merchant Marines after graduation. He loved to tell stories of his adventures at sea and the many intriguing countries he visited. Back in the Netherlands he met and married Sjoek in 1953. Within a month they immigrated to Canada, starting their family in North Vancouver where they lived until 1975. Willem, Sjoek and their younger children then moved to the Armstrong and Salmon Arm areas.
Family was everything to Willem. He enjoyed sharing his love of being on the water, taking his children fishing, lakeside camping, and later, houseboating on the Shuswap.
The family would like to thank Dr. Bonthuys and the staff of Shuswap Lake General Hospital, Pioneer Lodge and Hillside Village for their compassionate care.
A service to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, March 7th, at 1:00pm, at the Crossroads Free Methodist Church, 121 Shuswap St SW, in Salmon Arm. Donations can be made in memory of Willem to the Shuswap Hospital Foundation.