Geraldine Zwaagstra

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Geraldine Zwaagstra (Jansma), age 89, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, on June 9, 2023. She passed away peacefully after a long and courageous journey with cancer. Born in The Netherlands, she immigrated to Canada in 1954 at the age of 20 with her family on board the ship ‘S.S. Waterman’. Her first job after arriving in Canada was as a maid at the Blanchard Fraser Memorial Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

Gerry met George in Nova Scotia shortly after arriving in Canada. In 1956, she accompanied him to Ottawa to support his Royal Canadian Air Force career. During her time living in Ottawa, Gerry worked as a Nurses’ Aide providing care for war veterans and others. Gerry and George returned to Nova Scotia a few days before Christmas in 1956, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve, George proposed to Gerry. Obviously, she said yes, and they were married on July 27, 1957. Over the next 8 years, Ron, Don, Colin and Gwen would be born.

Everywhere the family lived, Gerry worked hard to make sure they were all cared for, especially through her love of cooking, baking, sewing and knitting. Her famous Zwaagstra burgers and Dutch Appel Taart have been devoured by many relatives and friends over the years and as far away as the USA.

Another one of Gerry’s passions was music. She was a talented violinist, having taken lessons in The Netherlands as a young girl. This led to her playing in several orchestras both in The Netherlands and in Halifax. To say that she loved flowers is an understatement and she was known to be surrounded by Geraniums, African Violets, and mini-Carnations, just to name a few.

Gerry was very kind and compassionate and always put others before herself. She was not a fan of camping but went just the same for the love of her family. She would also go canoeing and boating even though she much preferred dry ground. One of her least selfish acts was in 2017 when she knitted 50 pairs of mittens. Sold through the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, proceeds from the mitten sales went to cancer research.

On top of her many gifts and talents shared with others over the years, Gerry was also an Explorer and Beaver leader, President of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Parents Association, and an avid Square Dancer. In the last several years, Gerry really enjoyed attending events with George at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. This brought her full circle to the start of her new life in Canada.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years, George, children Ron (Gail), Don (Nancy), Colin (Vanessa), and Gwen, grandchildren Alison, Greg (Jen), Michael (Samantha), Lucas (Cassidy), Linnea (Chris), and Landon, great-grandchildren Silas and Raeya, sister-in-law Lynn, niece Heather, nephew Steven, and cousin Genevieve (Stephen).

She was predeceased by her father Freerk (Fred) Jansma, mother Ebeltje (Ebel) Jansma (van der Laan), and brother, Jan Jansma.

Special thanks to all medical staff who have cared for Gerry during her cancer journey, especially Dr. Nancy Robertson, Dr. Michael Gross, Dr. Amy Trottier, Dr. Alfredo De la Torre, and most recently the staff at the Halifax Infirmary Emergency, and Unit 6B Thoracic Surgery and 7A Palliative Care at the Victoria General Hospital, as well as the Nova Scotia paramedics that transferred Gerry back and forth to hospital.

Visitation will take place at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, on June 24, 2023, from 2 to 5 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer research.