Obituary of Maria Meyer

Our dear mother, sister, aunt and Oma passed away peacefully on Friday, April 27, 2018. Antonia Maria Wijchers was born in 1930 in Amsterdam as the eldest of five. Her teenage years were dominated by the Second World War, which shaped her with both hardship and with a strong sense of community. As a young woman she worked as a personal secretary to Queen Juliana. She married and gave birth to two daughters, Hanneke and Marieke and in 1959 the young family emigrated to Canada. She embraced her new life in ​Ottawa, camping, skiing and eventually buying a cottage.

​She embarked on a fulfilling career with the federal government, rising in the ranks until she was writing policy. She was one of the driving forces behind ground breaking legislation around sexual harassment, equal pay for women and access to information. ​

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Everything she did, she did with enthusiasm. When her marriage ended, she decided to give herself three challenges: to learn how to fly an airplane, to learn Arabic and to play the double bass. She did all three with gusto. She also fulfilled another long-term dream: to buy a house in the country. Her two grandsons, Alistair and Gabriel, called it their enchanted forest. When she retired from paid work she took up volunteer work, in literacy and helping people with taxes among many other things. She had many passions. She loved to travel, and went all over the world, often on her own, coming back with quirky souvenirs and many stories. She took each grandson on a trip to Europe when they graduated from high school and took them on yearly excursions to plays in Stratford.  

​Maria loved gardening and often wandered around gardens writing down the names of plants she loved and then planting them in her own ​backyard. Even when she moved into a condo, she had a garden plot. Maria was fiercely independent and determined to live on her own right to the end. She brushed off any concerns people might have with an airy reassurance that "her legs were strong." So was her spirit, but she was also gracious, loving and caring. After a brief period of illness, she passed away, surrounded with love.

Predeceased by her beloved younger brother Co and sister Tonny. Remembered lovingly by Hanneke Preikschas and her husband Herb, Marieke Meyer and her husband Thane, grandsons Ali and Riel, sisters Hanny and her husband Wim and Wil from Holland and sister-in-law Rietie from New Zealand. Also remembered by many nieces and nephews and countless friends. Thanks to the wonderful people at Rockway Mennonite Church, St Mary's Hospital and Innisfree House who surrounded her with caring and compassion.

Maria’s family will receive relatives and friends at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.  A memorial service to celebrate Maria’s life and faith will be held at Rockway Mennonite Church, 47 Onward Ave., Kitchener on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 2 p.m. with Pastor Scott Brubaker-Zehr officiating.  A reception in the church fellowship hall will immediately follow the service.  Cremation and a private family committal service will have taken place at the Roseville Mennonite Cemetery.

Condolences for the family and memorial donations to Rockway Mennonite Church, Innisfree House or the Lymphoma Society of Canada may be arranged by contacting the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.