July 30, 1923 – December 17, 2023
After a well-lived life of more than 100 years, our beloved Addie passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 17 in Montreal.
Addie was an exceptional human being who touched so many people as a sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher and friend.
She was born on July 30, 1923 in The Hague, the Netherlands, and was the second of eight children of Simon Hegge and Agnès Schnabel. As a child, Addie was often sick and this frequently kept her apart from friends and family. But she played a very important role in her family, especially during the Second World War, which was a particularly challenging and painful time for many Dutch families. Her responsibility grew even larger when her older brother Tonnie, who was in the Dutch resistance, was executed. She supported her parents as well as her siblings through this awful ordeal. After the war, she met her husband Hans and started a young family: four boys in six years, with her husband in the navy often away on duty around the world. Then more challenges as she left her parents and homeland to emigrate with
her family to a new country, arriving in Montreal in 1956. Those early years were tough: a husband often working out of town; no local family and support network; little money; and four rambunctious and growing kids.
But with courage and determination, sacrifice and optimism, love and generosity, ambition and hard work, Addie overcame all these challenges to build a bright future for herself, but even more so, for her children and her community. For decades, she was a well-loved teacher in LaSalle, teaching generations about nature, culture, values and achievement. She loved to garden and she loved flowers. She was curious and adventurous, adored travelling and learning, recounting stories and sharing experiences, and was an avid reader until the end. But most of all, she was a proud and dedicated mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. A class act, a real lady.
Addie filled such a big space in such an unassuming way that she will be greatly missed by all who knew her, though her memories and legacy will live within us forever.
She is survived by her brother Wil (Ety) and sister Anne-Marie (André); by her sons and their partners: Tony (Tim) and Jane, Peter (Pier) and Christa, John (Job) and Eliane, and Philip and Lucie; by her grandchildren James (Kim), Andrea (Dan), Mareike (Marcel), Julia (Simon), Jenna (Mark), Oliver, Ryan and Thomas; by her great-grandchildren Julius, Olivia, Alex, Mila, Cole, Jonathan, Reid and Juna; and her many nephews, nieces and other relatives around the world.
She is predeceased by her brothers Tonnie, Jan and Harry and her sisters Lily and Meta.
Visitations will be held on Dec. 27 from 2 PM to 5 PM and 7 PM to 9 PM at J.J. Cardinal Funeral Home, 2125 Notre-Dame St., Lachine (Qc). A funeral service will be held on Dec. 28 at 10:15 AM at St. John Brébeuf church, 7777 George St., Lasalle (Qc). The service will be live-streamed and can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/Adriana-funeral-service.
Addie wanted to finish her days at home and in recent months received exceptional support from the caregivers at Bien Chez Soi. The family would like to express special appreciation to Valérie, Fortunée and Jeanette, who were so kind, caring and attentive during this time.
Finally, Addie was a very generous person who supported a myriad of causes, so in lieu of flowers, it would be very fitting to simply make a donation in her memory to your favourite charity.
RÉSIDENCE FUNÉRAIRE J.J. CARDINAL FUNERAL HOME
2125, rue Notre-Dame, Lachine (Québec) H8S 2G5
Tél. : 514-639-1511 | Téléc. : 514-639-1516 | Courriel : info@jjcardinal.ca