Johannes Joseph ‘Jo’ van Oirschot

Funeral service for the late Johannes Joseph ‘Jo’ van Oirschot, 92, Pleasant Valley, Antigonish County, was held April 8 in St. Ninian Cathedral, Antigonish, with Father Donald MacGillivray officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery at a later date. Mr. van Oirschot died April 4, 2019, in R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home, Antigonish. Readers at the funeral Mass were Amy van Oirschot, Kristy Hines and Jillian Overmars. Maranda van Oirschot and Brandon MacPherson presented the offertory gifts. Music was provided by Emery van de Wiel. Members of Arras Branch 59 Royal Canadian Legion formed an honour guard. Pallbearers were Brent van Oirschot, Kegan MacDonald, Colby van Oirschot, Jonathan Barry, Andrew van Oirschot and Tyler van Oirschot. Born March 3, 1927, in Boxtel, The Netherlands, he was a son of the late Michael and Anna Maria (Schepens) van Oirschot. He was drafted at a young age into the Dutch forces to fight in the Indonesian Conflict. After being wounded, he returned to the Netherlands where he then graduated from Agricultural College, which began a 59-year life in farming. He immigrated to Canada in 1952 and, in 1957, he married his wife, Johanna (Ann). Soon after arriving in Antigonish County, he spent seven years as the farm manager at Bethany. In 1959, they bought a farm in Pleasant Valley, which remains in the family to this day. He enjoyed sports, both as an athlete and a fan and had been a soccer player, runner and horse jumper. Locally, he was very active in coaching and refereeing. He was an integral part of every organization he was a part of, including Arras Branch 59, Royal Canadian Legion, the Nova Scotia Animal Breeders and the Federation of Agriculture, implementing standards that remain in practice today. He was an avid reader and an avid Leafs fan. He is survived by his wife, Johanna ‘Ann’ (Baetsen); six children, Ann Marie (late Jim) Tozer, Antigonish; Joey (Darlene), Pleasant Valley; Madeline (Joe) Barry, Italy; Wilhelmina (Greg) Hines, Giant’s Lake; Evelyn (Garnet) MacPherson, St. Andrews; Tom (Jane), Truro; 21 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ida (Jan) Vermeer, Pleasant Valley; Anne van Rooy, The Netherlands; brother, Frans (Mien), The Netherlands; sister-in-law, Sjaan van Oirschot. He was predeceased by his oldest son, Michael; youngest daughter, Brigitte; brother, William; sister, Wilhelmina. Memorial donations may be made to Arras Branch 59, Royal Canadian Legion or the Canadian Cancer Society. Online condolences: www.clcurry.com