John was born on March 13, 1950, in Deventer, Holland (Netherlands).
John was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Maggie, sister Erica, and Son-in-Law Bogdan. He is survived by his daughters Krista & Julianna.
John’s family left Deventer in 1953 and came to Canada by passenger ship. Landing in Halifax, they travelled by train to Winnipeg, where they were sent to Gladstone, MB by Immigration Canada. After living in Gladstone for a year, the family, including his brother Robert and sister Erica, returned to Winnipeg, and ended up in the Point Douglas area. The van den Beuken family moved to various places throughout the North End, while the children attended Catholic schools.
John attended Tech Voc High School, graduating in 1969 with a focus on Electrical Trades. He pursued the field at Red River Community College, receiving a diploma in Electronic Technology in 1974. John met his future wife Maggie in 1971, marrying in 1973, and welcomed their daughters Krista and Julianna in the following four years.
After graduating from RRCC, John applied his skills at different companies, most notably at NORAD from 1974-1981, which included travelling up to Northern Canada; CKY-TV from 1981-1990; and finally at Health Sciences Centre for 17 years as a Biomechanical Engineering Technologist, retiring in 2017.
John, with help from his wife Maggie, worked on renovating their home on Ashmore Drive over the years to make more space for their family. They would faithfully attend services at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church – their religion was at the core of their values. John enjoyed hobbies such as photography, amateur ham radio operations, woodworking, and fabricating metal projects. He also went to the movies every Tuesday evening with his treasured friend and neighbour John Martin for over 40 years. After retiring, John enjoyed watching classic movies and British television, spending time with his daughters and family and friends.
Also left to mourn John’s passing are his brother Robert (Margaret), his many nieces and nephews, and longtime friends. The family would like to thank John’s homecare worker Joy for her dedicated service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s memory to the St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 2624 Inkster Blvd, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Funeral Mass will take place at 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 20 at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, 2624 Inkster Blvd, Winnipeg, with a public viewing starting at 10:00 AM. Interment will take place at Green Acres Cemetery, 1 Green Acres Lane, Winnipeg, at approximately 12:30 PM, followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship in the Green Acres Legacy Room.
