JOHN VAN DER FLAES

John was a wonderful husband, stepfather, friend, colleague and so much more. He passed away at the age of 76, struck by a sudden heart attack. 

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John touched the lives of so many and he is deeply missed. With each passing day, the extent of his impact continues to grow; he will never be forgotten. John will remain a part of us. This memorial website lives for our memories of him - so the world will know what a great soul he was. We would love for you to share your memories of John with us. It comforts us to know that there are others out there thinking of and mourning for this great man.

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Born in Belgium and bred in Canada, John was a Canadian by heart and soul. He liked anything and everything Canadian, like Tim Horton’s. Poutine. Maple syrup. Terry Fox. Molson's. Canada Dry. Eh? He also loved baseball and was a big fan of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. He loved to go to the Skydome to watch the Jays play whenever he had a chance.

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John was a profound lover of jazz music and he would attend concerts whenever possible in such places as Paris or Amsterdam. As a connaisseur and avid epicurean of fine wine, he's toured and sampled amongst the best vineyards in the world such as the Bordeaux region in France, the Napa Valley in California, the Niagara Peninsula wineries in Canada and the English Riviera wines in the UK. John also loved his cigars - Cohiba, Romeo & Juliet Churchills, and more recently, while living in the Philippines, he's taken a liking to Tabacalera Robusto.

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Strongly connected to colleagues from around the world, where he lived and worked in a culture of international professionals, John resided in such far-reaching places such as the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, he was in the heart of it during the Johannesburg Riots during the Apartheid Uprising in South Africa, he lived among the most primitive tribes in Papua New Guinea and ended his career in the lush and prosperous Sultanat of Oman on the Arabia Peninsula.

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He leaves a legacy of love and integrity with his family and those who knew him. He has left behind wonderful memories, a life beautifully lived deserves to remembered. Gone... but never forgotten.