William "Wim" Van Berkel

On April 23, 2025, the Lord took home our beloved dad and grampa, Wim Van Berkel, at the age of 77 years.

Wim was born On February 3, 1948, in Rotterdam, to Leendert-Jan and Betsy Van Berkel. He was the oldest of 5 children that lived in the borough of Ijsselmonde, just a few blocks away from the home of his favorite soccer team, Feyenoord Rotterdam. On game days, you could hear the crowd from the backyard. In his early teens, Wim, being the oldest, made the difficult decision to quit school and go to work at the family milk business to support the family after his father passed away.  Although this was hard, he still found joy in being able to support his family, and fondly remembered taking his siblings for ice cream on hot days. In his 20’s Wim made the bold decision to move to Canada, as he thought Canada had way more opportunities than The Netherlands.  He became close with some cousins that lived in Edmonton, the only other family he had in Canada. Through these cousins & mutual friends, he met the love of his life, Ann Salomons. Together they moved to Ft. Saskatchewan to work at a feedlot and start their family. In 1989 they moved to the Lacombe area where they have lived ever since.  They always cherished living close to Ann’s family and spent a lot of evenings visiting with all the family and friends in the area.  Wim had several jobs during his time in Lacombe, but was most proud of the work he did in potatoes and pork. After Ann’s passing, Wim moved to the Lacombe Lodge where he made many new friends. Although he went to the Lodge by himself, he was never alone. He always had visitors coming and going, and his positive attitude was infectious. Even though he went to a seniors facility, his work ethic never waned. He made sure there was enough space in his tiny room for an office desk and printer so that he could continue to support others in the potato and pork industries. In fact, only a week before his passing, he was disappointed to have missed a zoom meeting with colleagues in Ontario.

Life was not always easy for Wim, starting in his early 40’s he has had a series of various ailments.  While these ailments gave him significant pain, he would never let it get in his way. He will be remembered for his hard working nature, determination, resilience, boundless positivity, quick wit and his generosity to others. These characteristics made him loved by many.

Wim was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Ann, and left to mourn; Brett Van Berkel (Noah & Madi, Leah, Evan), Amanda and Barton Ten Hove (Hayden, Cole, Brooklyn) and Todd and Michelle Van Berkel (Gavin, Charlie) as well as many brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

A special thank you to the many medical professionals Wim had encountered over his journey, especially the nurses in the Lacombe and Red Deer hospitals, as well as his doctor Dr. Van Niekerk.  On Wim’s last day, one of the nurses thanked Wim for being a grandpa to all the staff. To Wim, they were his friends, and they always took great care of him. He was thankful for all they did. We are also grateful for the staff and residents at the Lacombe Lodge who he became close friends with.

A Public Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 6-9:00 pm at Wilson's Funeral Chapel - Lacombe

A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Woody Nook CRC.

Livestreaming of the service can be found with the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMzOPbj_03N5fkW83Zoxi7A

Donations in Memory of Wim may be directed to the Building Blocks Thrift Store: 5111 50 Ave, Lacombe, AB T4L 1K4

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William "Wim" Van Berkel, please visit our floral store.