Obituary of Engeline Emma Baas
Engeline Emma “Babe” Baas passed away peacefully with her daughter by her side on December 16, 2020 at Sunnyside Long Term Care Home in Kitchener, Ontario, in her 84th year. She was born June 26, 1937, the fifth of eight children born to Arthur and Jean Cardinal of Perth, ON. She was a loving mother to her daughter Janmari (Gerald Ross) and son Peter (Isabelle) and a proud, doting grandmother to April, Amanda , Mei, and Anthony. She is survived by siblings Oliver (Anne), Harold and Kenneth (Judy), and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her husband Peter Tonny Baas of 42 years, parents and siblings Earnest (Theresa), Michael (Verna), Lorna (Clarence), and Wayne (Donna). Engeline was nicknamed ‘Babe’ by her older brother Harold, who, as a 4-year-old, couldn’t manage to say ‘Engeline’ and so called her ‘Babe’. This was how her family and friends all knew her, but she found it more dignified to use her given name as a professional, and as she aged.
Engeline grew up in Perth and was the first of the family to graduate from high school where she took top marks in 1954. Unfortunately, the family was of modest means and so further education wasn’t possible. Engeline went to work in a department store and quickly worked her way up from salesperson to manager. A few years later she met her soulmate Tonny, a recent immigrant from Holland, while managing the Sears outlet in Perth. He walked in the door with a huge water boiler over his shoulder, bulging muscles, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. The rest, as they say, is history. They married January 6, 1958, and drove to Mexico in a VW camper van for their honeymoon. It was a great adventure for a young newly-wed woman who hadn’t travelled out of Eastern Ontario in her life, and the beginning of many travels for the couple over the course of their marriage.
Engeline began married life managing the Baas family restaurant/service station on Highway 7 with her in-laws and husband. Tonny and his father were the auto mechanics. Soon she had two children to look after as well. When highway 401 was completed, business dried up. Tonny found a job as an auto mechanics teacher at a high school in Sudbury and so Engeline and Tonny settled their family in Northern Ontario. Early in her marriage, she learned that her husband was going blind due to an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, ‘RP’, which changed their relationship. She had to become Tonny’s mental support, and as his eyesight got worse, she had to take on more roles such as driver and being Tonny’s ‘eyes’.
Engeline was a self-described life-long reader and learner. As a child she would escape the noisy chaos of her large family and retreat to the bedroom she shared with Lorna to read. She gratefully recalled the annual gift of a library card from her namesake, Aunt Emma. After moving to Sudbury and her husband’s diagnosis with RP, Engeline realized she needed to go back to school and establish a career. She attended Cambrian College in Sudbury and graduated as a Registered Nursing Assistant, RNA, in 1973. Engeline enjoyed working as an RNA at the Memorial Hospital from 1973-1974; unfortunately, an attempt to catch a patient who was falling resulted in a back injury, and she couldn’t continue nursing. She then switched her career track, and enrolled at Laurentian University in Sudbury to study economics. Engeline had found her true path---she graduated with an Honours B.A. in Economics in 1979, and was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for the highest academic achievement in her year. She went on to teach economics at the university and became the President of the Part-Time Students Association. She also served on 18 committees and was a member of the university’s Board of Governors.
Engeline was always active in any community she lived in. She volunteered at church, with Girl Guides, the CNIB and after moving to Kitchener in 2003, with the mayor’s committee for seniors and the Breithaupt Seniors Centre. In the early 1980’s she and Tonny volunteered for a friend’s political campaign for provincial office, which led to her being recommended as a member to the Ontario government’s Nursing Home Compliance Plan Review Board. Her background in nursing and economics were invaluable to the work done by the board. She investigated nursing homes and wrote recommendations for the new legislation which now governs long-term care homes in Ontario, the Long-Term Care Homes Act. One of her recommendations was that window height should be lowered in homes so that residents in wheelchairs and beds could see out. When she became a resident at Sunnyside Home she was gratified to see that her recommendation had been followed.
Inspecting nursing homes in the 1980’s was an arduous and horrific job. Engeline was traumatized by the conditions she found in many of the homes. This past spring when she read in the newspaper the reports by the military of the conditions they found in the nursing homes where so many residents had died and were suffering, Engeline experienced the trauma all over again and her mood was very dark. Then, when she read that the military were helping she brightened, and when the government announced that there would be a commission of inquiry she instructed her daughter, Jan, to find out how to apply, get her resume up-to-date, and make her application to sit on the commission. After all, she said: “I have done it before, I will do it again”.
When Tonny had to retire due to his blindness, they became snowbirds, alternating in the 1990’s between a home in Bradenton, Florida, and their cottage in Northern Ontario. It was in Florida that Tonny was matched with his guide dog, Hoover. Engeline felt a weight lift from her shoulders knowing that Tonny was safe navigating the world with his dog. They enjoyed the retirement community in Florida, playing bridge, shuffle board, swimming, and visiting other communities to fundraise for the South Eastern Guide Dog School where Hoover had been trained.
The snowbird life came to an end when Tonny was diagnosed with cancer. Engeline was his caregiver until he passed away June 2, 2000. The following year she moved to Kitchener to be closer to her daughter, Jan, and her family. She quickly became involved in activities with other seniors in her apartment building, her church (Parkminster United), the Breithaupt Centre and was an invaluable support for Jan, Gerry and their daughters.
Sadly, on March 2, 2013, Engeline had a severe stroke which left her paralyzed on the left side of her body, and unable to live alone. She was fortunate to be offered a room at Sunnyside LTC Home, and despite her misgivings about nursing homes based on her experiences inspecting them, she was pleased with Sunnyside, and could appreciate that the many recommendations she and the Nursing Home Compliance Plan Review Board had made had been implemented. Engeline enjoyed the many activities at Sunnyside: bingo, pub night, movie night, music concerts, recreation activities such as painting, gardening, baking, the Red Hat society, and fundraising activities such as Walk-and-Roll, Christmas Bazaar and the spring garage sale.
When she first moved to Sunnyside, she was asked by staff to fill out an All About Me biography, to help them get to know her. Much of this life story is taken from this biography. The last page was titled ‘Things I Really Want You To Know About Me’. Appropriately, then, Engeline shall speak for herself:
“I really enjoyed married life, especially the sex. I miss that”
“Excellent, brilliant mind and a wicked sense of humour”
“Don’t suffer fools gladly. Never did. Neither did my mother”
“Enjoyed being a mother; still do”
“Loved, and still do, being a grandmother”
“I am a gardener; have a ‘green thumb’”
“Life-long reader. Life-long learner”
“Have always been a night owl; always hated getting up early”
“Favourite perfume: Chanel # 5”
“Gourmet cook”
“Favourite music: country western and Elvis Presley”
“Favourite TV shows, books, movies: Star Wars, Star Trek (I am a Trekkie!), Harlequin Romances, murder mysteries, Big Bang Theory”
Engeline’s family would like to express their deep gratitude for the exceptional care she received from the staff during her residency at Sunnyside. The Cider Mill nurses, PSWs, housekeeping and supporting staff were wonderful and helped create a loving, home-like atmosphere for her and our family. We were especially touched on her final day to have so many staff come by her room to say good-bye to her, and to share with us special memories they have of her. A frequent comment was how much her sense of humour was appreciated and would be missed.
As per Engeline’s wishes, cremation has taken place. Due to the present COVID-19 restrictions there will not be a visitation or funeral service. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. She had expressed a wish for everyone to be happy, stay healthy, and enjoy a great party in her memory---a good, old-fashioned Irish-type wake, as it were. We shall endeavour to do our best.
In memory of Engeline, please make donations “In Memory of Engeline Baas” to:
Canadian Dog Guides
4120 Rideau Valley Drive North
PO Box 280 Manotick, Ontario
K4M 1A3, Canada
+1 (613) 692-7777
info@guidedogs.ca
Or
Sunnyside Foundation
247 Franklin St. N.
Kitchener, ON. N2A 1Y5
Telephone: 519-893-8482
