Klaas Anne Dekkema
Family man, church leader, landscaper. Born on July 4, 1935, in Onderdendam, the Netherlands; died on Feb. 6, 2015, in Toronto, of cancer, aged 79.
Klaas Dekkema met his future wife, Enga Pypker, in Toronto shortly after the two teenagers arrived from Holland after the Second World War. Like many Dutch newcomers, their families found temporary lodgings in a large, church-sponsored house on Broadview Avenue. Everyone had to share two bathrooms, and in one of them Klaas and Enga fell in love. When she was going out of the bathroom and he was going in, she playfully pushed him into the full tub of water. He was 19, she 15. Enga said she was drawn to his outgoing nature, curly brown hair, and nice round butt.
Later their two families rented a house together on Broadview; the Dekkemas lived in the upper apartment, the Pypkers in the lower one. It was very convenient for a young couple in love to date this way.
Klaas and Enga's loving marriage of 55 years produced five children, 14 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. They raised their children – Larry, Theo, Glenda, Teresa and Ken – in the countryside near Newmarket, Ont., next to the home of Klaas's brother Lloyd and his family. Klaas created a fun-filled playground for the kids: a pond to swim in and skate on, ponies to ride, and a billy goat to outsmart.
He was an elder and later a youth elder – a much more suitable role for him to play – in the Christian Reformed Church, consisting mostly of Dutch immigrant families. He thrived spiritually and socially in that church. His wit, empathic personality and wisdom drew many young people to him for friendship and guidance; some of them stayed with our family for varying periods. As one recently recalled, "I was a little off-course when I came to live with your parents. But Klaas never preached at me, he always led by example."
After starting out as a hog farmer, which proved to be financially nonviable, Klaas launched a commercial landscaping business. He said the money he made from landscaping was needed to feed his five kids – and a barn full of pigs. The landscaping business was a success; he took pride in a job well done and enjoyed working outdoors alongside his employees.
An avid fisherman, he took every opportunity to go after the big one in Algonquin Park, Lake Ontario, or Florida's Sebastian Inlet and Melbourne beach. Luckily for him, Enga was willing and able to fillet, batter, season and fry fish at the drop of a fishing hat.
Klaas loved attention – sometimes to a fault. One day Enga and the kids conspired to ignore him for a change, a nearly impossible feat. He began to sing loudly, and when that didn't work, he stood on his chair and shook his hips to his own song. When even that didn't work, he stepped up on the table, dipped his toe in the butter and jam, and wiped it on daughter Glenda's nose. Everyone burst into laughter, and he got the sort of response he loved.
After battling cancer for 15 years, and seven major surgeries, Klaas is finally in heaven. Angels are likely serving him salted herring on dark rye bread, with a glass of white wine, while they listen to his stories, laugh at his jokes, and give him much attention. After that they'll show him the best fishing spots in the sky.
Glenda Dekkema is Klaas's daughter.