Passed away peacefully on January 16, 2026, in Kelowna, BC, at the age of 84. He was a consummate hard worker who did everything for his family.
He is survived by his beloved Wanda, his wife of 63 years; their son Randy (Miyuki); and grandchildren Tia (Tim), Mira (Dawson), and Naya; he will also be deeply missed by his brother Wim.
While he was in Holland he met Wanda, who, as it turned out, was on the same boat from Indonesia, though they didn’t know it at the time. Love blossomed and two years later they were married.
When their son Randy was only 6 months old, they moved to the United States, to be closer to Bert’s family. Six or seven years later, they moved countries again, this time they went to Calgary, AB to be closer to Wanda’s family. Bert found work in the Oilfield, working as a Land Surveyor, while Wanda was the homemaker. Work took Bert away often, and while home was always where his heart was, he did get to see some neat places the world has to offer, such as Ecuador, New Zealand, Poland, and Barbados – whenever possible Wanda would join him during these work travels.
Later in life, Bert would spend many hours in the garden, not that he didn’t enjoy it, but his main motivation was to help Wanda out.
Losing Bert is a profound loss for the family, he will be forever remembered.
A Funeral Service, will be held on THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM (PST), at SPRINGFIELD FUNERAL HOME, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service, a recording will be made available to view shortly in 3-5 days (see below). A reception will be held following the service.
