It is with great sadness that the family of Ilse Bierbaum announces her passing at the age of 85 on Monday May 25th, 2020. She passed peacefully, her family by her side one day short of her 86th birthday. Ilse was born Ilse Jonkhans in her hometown of Emmerich in Germany. She immigrated to Canada in 1952 to be with the love of her life Ewald Bierbaum. They married days after her arrival and enjoyed a long 65 year marriage until Ewald's passing in 2017.
Ilse was a proud mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved to laugh and loved to smile. She was a sweet and kind person who enriched the lives of everyone she met. She loved to cook, tell stories and support the emotional needs of her friends and family. She survived the ravages of war torn Europe as the 3rd child of 4, raised by her mother a widowed pensioner. For many years she volunteered at the St. Joseph's Hospital neonatal department. She was an avid golfer and spent much of her later life wintering in Florida.
Ilse will be sadly missed by her children Bernie (Sue), Carol (Loren) and Greg; her grandchildren Christel (Paul), Colin (Elizabeth), Natalie (Matt), Jaclyn (Mike), Michael (Christina), Robert and Steven (Dayna) and her great-grandchildren Siena, Avery, Jack, Ella, Michelle, William and Beau. Ilse was a beloved sister to Heinz and Christel and her predeceased brother Robert.
A church service, interment and celebration of life will be held at a future date when it is once again safe for people to gather and share in each others physical presence. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking donations be given to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Please feel free to browse the Needham Funeral Service website for photos and a video in celebration of her life.
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