On Wednesday, October 2nd, we said goodbye to our dad, husband, brother, uncle, and friend, Robert van den Berg. He was a loving husband to Catherine and father of James and Amy, and brother to France, Theo, and Gerard. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and met Catherine in London, UK, in 1984. Together they moved to Canada and had Amy and James, living a life in harmony for nearly 40 years. Rob was a musician and filled the house with music, writing and recording hundreds of songs (some of which are pretty good).
As a dad he was always a phone call away, and listened without judgment and was consistent in his love and pride in us. He would talk for hours about life, music, books, philosophy and the things he was grateful for. He had an appreciation for small everyday things, like interactions between friends and quiet mornings sitting around drinking coffee. He loved laughing, family time, and Thirsty Thursdays with his friends at the pub. His jokes didn’t always land but when they did he was hilarious. We will miss his memes and his goofy happy dance and his knobbly knees which were increasingly bowed (“I came by horse!”). He shared his love of music with his children, and the family band was a regular at Oakville’s local Moonshine Café’s Tuesday night open mics.
Rob’s friends would say he was in equal parts humorous and kind – a genuinely good guy. Whether he was helping fix a fence or just checking in, he made you feel comfortable and appreciated. He was always trying to make people laugh and every room he entered was brighter with him in it. We’ll miss Caesars with him on the dock at the cottage, listening to his latest new song, hearing his stories from his childhood and his time in a band, his funny birthday cards, his innumerable hours spent playing solitaire, slow walks in the forest with our chocolate lab Mango, finding him sleeping in front of the T.V. watching sports, and his big big heart.
His insistence that his family was his world, as well as his passion for life and curiosity in what comes after it has and will continue to guide us through our extraordinary grief. He taught us how to live and we take comfort in this as we continue on after his death.
Please join Rob's family for a Celebration of his Life at the Oakville Golf Club, 1154 Sixth Line, Oakville, Ontario on November 16th. Come and go-2 pm to 5pm with a time of tributes commencing at 3pm.
Thank you for all that you were and will continue to be in memory.
We love you.