Following five years of living with Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Jan Edward Vos of Kanata passed away on 17 October at the age of 68.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 43 years, Jackie; children Simon and Adrianne; his sisters Tina (Bill), Hilda (Scott), brother Brian (Susan), sister-in-law Kim; brothers-in-law Ralph (Isabelle), Eric (Marie-Claude); his relatives in Canada and abroad; and his friends.
He was predeceased by his parents Johannes and Magdalena and his brother Henry.
Born in Woodstock, Ontario, he fell in love with airplanes and joined the Canadian Armed Forces where he served as an Aerospace Engineer for 35 years. In his spare time, he enjoyed working with his hands, spending many hours tinkering on his 1984 Volvo. He loved woodworking, and completed 100s of projects. This included his own urn, which was turned out of a piece of Black Walnut from a tree Ed planted in his beloved yard in 1995.
A graveside service will be held at the National Military Cemetery, located at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, on Friday, November 1 at 10 a.m.
Memorial donations may be made in Ed’s name to Prostate Cancer Research. The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre as well as Dr. Bossé, Dr. Fawaz, Dr. Tiberi and Dr. Spacek.
Digital Guestbook
Jean Claude Gagnon & Guylaine Jean-Gagnon
Nicole & Jacques McDuff
Repose en paix Ed, puisses-tu continuer à trouver la même joie et la même passion dans l’au-delà! Nos plus sincères condoléances! Nos pensées et nos prières vous accompagnent.
Marci MacQueen
I have many fond memories of Ed. We started public school together in Woodstock and wound up as Physics partners in Gr. 13. A fitting ending to our Woodstock school years. I will miss our friendship. My heartfelt condolences to his wife Jackie and family.
Alana Wagar
We will miss you Uncle Ed, our time living in Ottawa will always hold a special place in our hearts, as will you. Sending you love Aunt Jackie, Simon & Adrianne xo The Wagar's
Wim & Tineke Vos
Our condolences with the passing away of Edward. We wish Jacky and family strength in this time of grief. .
Ed Karkut
Ed and I both grew up in Woodstock, Ontario, but we went to different high schools. We signed up for the Canadian Forces around the same time, and even though Ed spent his first two years at Royal Roads, we connected at RMC. After that, we went through AERE training together in Borden, Ontario, where we’d chat during our weekend drives home in his beloved Audi (which he maintained with much pride). Later in my career, I worked on a project at NDHQ that Ed was leading, which involved outsourcing the CF188 Electronic Test Equipment. Throughout the time I had the privilege of knowing Ed, he stood out as a truly professional leader and a genuinely nice guy. I would like to offer my condolences to his family during this difficult time. Ed will be missed by everyone who knew him.
Susan and Brian Vos
When we lose a brother, we lose a friend as well as a piece of our shared history. Brothers can be our closest friends, sharing parents as well as the journey of life. Thank you Ed for all that you gave, your time, your heart and the legacy you leave us with. It's comforting to know that heaven received a new angel when you left us. You'll always be missed but never forgotten.
June Payne Flath
My condolences to Ed's family. His loss will be felt deeply. I knew Ed in high school and only crossed paths a few times since then at school reunions. He remained kind, proud of his family and their accomplishment, always grounded and steady, with a twinkle of good humour.
Kevin Biggar
I went to Roads and RMC with Ed, and we played together in the band at Roads, where I came to know Ed well. Always a gentleman, Ed was unflappable at college with a broad smile and a reassuring demeanor. Reading the other comments from people who have known and worked with Ed over the years reaffirms what a great guy he was. I'm sorry we didn't connect at our Old Brigade entry at RMC last month; it would have been great to chat and catch up. Ed has left his mark on us all, and we're fortunate to have experienced his spirit and friendship. TDV Ed, you were one of a kind.
Virginia Estévez Adán
Dear Jackie,
I saw your mail today and I was very sorry to read the news that Ed has left us.
My sincere condolences to you, your children and all the people who loved him.
Despite the years that have passed since we met in Brussels at NATO HQ, I have fond memories of a good, funny, honest, professional and courageous man.
I am honoured to have had him as my boss.
May he rest in peace!
A hug for all the family
Ed and I were at RMC and did our AERE training together. However, it was during our posting at China Lake that Guylaine and I got to know Ed and Jackie and really enjoyed their company. We were looking forward to meeting them again during the Old Brigade reunion last month after all these years. Our condolences to Jackie and family during this difficult time.