Dirkje Johanna Young

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rosar-morrison.com for the YOUNG family.

There are many people who hadn’t had the chance to see Dirkje lately, due to the pandemic. I would urge those to consider this as a blessing of sorts; my mother was a positive and nurturing soul, but also strong with a will of iron, but that was not what we could see as of late. I would suggest you remember her as I do – as the very personification of “Dutch courage,” which fueled her departure from Holland in the 1950s to seek a better life – first to England, then to the US and eventually Canada. Her first job in England was as a cook in the home of a prosperous English banker. The lady of the house was kind and patient and helped her learn to cook exceptionally well, as she acquired a high degree of skill in both the art of the English and French kitchens.

Family – I included – will remember her welcoming, warm style and fantastic feasts, including her way with eggs, (Scotch, deviled), and pastry (Coulibiac, Beef Wellington, tortiere) and savoury cheese cookies.

My brother and I fondly recall when we took her to a movie theatre in the late ‘80s, to see Babette’s Feast, a desolate little Danish film set in the 19th century. French refugee Babette, a cook to two austere Danish sisters, wins a lottery and spends the proceeds on a sumptuous feast. The movie documents the arrival, preparation and consumption of this meal and its ingredients, with running commentary from a knowledgeable critic present at the meal. My mother hooted and howled, having not been in a movie theatre in recent years and consequently had forgotten appropriate theatre decorum.

To celebrate her life – her love of food, her generosity – I will host a small gathering at my house in March, 2022, (her 90th birthday) where we will celebrate her life and note her passing at “Dirkje’s Feast.”

PS I also want to send a shout out to all my neighbours who often found my mother sitting on their porch, ready for a chat. You were kind and I am grateful. I also want to thank Cedarvale Terrace Long Term Care Home for taking such good care of her in the last few years of her life. Add a memory here if you like