STAALDUINEN, Cornelia Jacoba Staalduinen

Our mother, Cornelia “Connie” van Staalduinen, slipped away peacefully in her sleep on December 4, 2025, in Kelowna, B.C. She has now joined her beloved husband Casey of 65 years, and her Lord and Saviour.  We are deeply grateful to Dr. M. Bobyn, the staff at Glenmore Lodge and Annie Reekie for the incredible care, support, and kindness they showed her throughout her years there.

Connie was born in Rotterdam in1936, the first child of Jacob and Cornelia van der Pol. Growing up during WWII shaped much of her early life and many of her stories. Her memories of Holland during that time came with equal parts hardship, resilience, and the kind of matter-of-fact humour she carried with her throughout her life.

In 1954, Connie, her parents, and her siblings Hank and Mary Ann immigrated to Canada. They landed in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where the van der Pols were introduced to the van Staalduinen clan — friendship blossomed, and soon enough, so did love.

Connie and Casey married in Medicine Hat in 1958 and began their family in Red Deer, Alberta. Their first home had no bathroom, no washer, and no dryer — just Connie handwashing cloth diapers and trudging through winter to the outhouse with three kids (character-building, she would say).  Before long, they built a house of their own next door, big enough for their growing family of five children and acquired a cabin at Sylvan Lake, which became a treasured getaway.

All five children were baptized at Knox Presbyterian Church in Red Deer. Later in Kelowna, Mom and Dad continued their faith journey at St. David’s Presbyterian Church and then Trinity Baptist Church. Their faith was a quiet but steady guide through every chapter of life.

If there was one thing Connie loved, it was an adventure — especially one decided on the spot. After a lovely weekend trip to Kelowna in 1973, she and Casey simply declared, “Let’s move!” and a month later, they did. That move became one of their happiest decisions.

Connie was a fierce competitor and an enthusiastic swimmer. All five children joined the swim club, and soon Connie was one of the top officials in the sport. When the Parkinson Recreation Centre opened the same year they arrived in Kelowna, Connie and Casey helped start up the Kelowna Aqua-Jets Swim Club, a legacy that continues today.

At home, Mom ran a tight ship powered by pure, unstoppable energy. Her garden kept the family stocked with fruit and vegetables year-round. Saturdays came with chore lists — expert training in ironing, sewing, dusting, mopping, gardening, and baking. One thing she truly disliked was cooking meals. She did it anyway… but not quietly. Unfortunately, a few of her children inherited this inclination.

Her real artistry was in anything she made with her hands — knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, sewing, and especially quilting. With five kids, she sewed many of their clothes, and later knit sweaters and crafted quilts that travelled into the next generation.

Connie also had a sharp mind for numbers. She managed bookkeeping for various family businesses, worked for H&R Block and Revenue Canada, and cherished her years running Five Bridges Grocery. She ran the store and its staff much like she ran her home: with precision, firmness, and plenty of laughter.

She often said she worried she wouldn’t be a good mother, but like everything she set her mind to, she did it with love, enthusiasm and a firm hand. She was, in our opinion, the Warren Buffett of motherhood: steady, wise and surprisingly funny when you least expected it.

With five children, she knew that fairness didn’t always mean sameness. Her best advice was simple and true: Every child is different. Parent them accordingly.

In their retirement years, Connie and Casey spent several winters in Hemet, California, and also travelled extensively to Europe, China, Mexico and other destinations.  They made it a priority to visit all their children and grandchildren regularly, bringing hugs, laughter, and an inevitable competitive card game wherever they went.

Connie is survived by her siblings Hank (Riny) and Mary Ann, and predeceased by her brother-in-law Ralph. In the van Staalduinen family, she is survived by Ina, Bart (Lorette), Gerrit (Sharmaine), and sister-in-law Marion. She is also predeceased by Nellie (Steve), Art, Emma (Willie), Marian (Peter), and brother-in-law Casey.

Connie and Casey leave behind their children: Cora & Greg Pickering, Jo-Ann & Dan Sandberg, Helena & Armin Gottschling, Bart & Angie van Staalduinen, and Jacqueline & Bill Arling.

She will be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren Jason (Heather), Debra (Quintin), Tony (Debbie), Alex (Amber), Connor, Matthew (Kate), Andrew, Lauren, Jackson, Bennett, and Samuel; as well as her great-grandchildren Tulia, Claire, Augustus, Jaxon, and Levi — each holding their own special memories of Nanna.

Connie requested, in lieu of flowers, a donation to Breakthrough T1D, formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

A Celebration of Life, will be held on MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025, at 2:00 PM (PST), at in the FAMILY CENTRE 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 thereafter.

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