Ton Zuijdwijk

A.J.M. (Ton) Zuijdwijk, LL.M., M.I.A., S.J.D.

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Ton Zuijdwijk, a loving husband, a devoted father and grandfather, a loyal friend and a dedicated academic. Ton passed on October 16, 2025, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, integrity and love.

Ton is survived by his wife, Karen Coupland; his children from his first marriage, Anneke Zuijdwijk (Eric Knight) and Caroline Zuijdwijk (Ruwan Jayasuriya); his grandchildren, Olivia and  Penelope Knight and Savi and Vian Jayasuriya; his step-children, Kristen Coupland (David Moore) and Jason Coupland; his step-grandchildren James Moore and Aidan Moore; and his sister Anneke (Ruud Von Tol) who lives in the Netherlands. He was predeceased by his younger brother Jan (Annette) who died in the Netherlands on November 17, 2024.

Ton was born on February 9, 1946 and grew up in The Hague. From an early age he was an avid student of world politics and history.  Ton had Master of Law degrees from the University of Leiden (Netherlands) and Columbia University (NYC). He received his Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D) from the University of Toronto.

In the early years of his career,  he taught law at the University of Leiden and McGill University. This was followed by a long and distinguished career in international trade law at the Government of Canada where he conducted trade litigation before the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland. He also participated in negotiations on many of Canada’s Free Trade Agreements. Ton had a deep commitment to and respect for the established rules of international law, which provide the norms for not only economic relations and but also human rights.

Throughout most of Ton’s career he taught the course in European Union Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. After his retirement from the Public Service in 2017 he also taught the course in International Trade Law for several years. Ton loved teaching and had planned to teach the EU Law course one last time in the fall of 2025 before illness befell him.

His many trips to Geneva during his career were almost always combined with a few days in the Netherlands visiting with his sister and brother and their respective families. This helped to bridge the distance between them and allowed them to maintain close ties through the years.

Ton was especially proud of his two girls, Anneke and Caroline and their respective families. Getting together with them was one of his greatest joys in life. Ton’s illness brought the whole family together in a manner that has strengthened the family relationships not only here in Canada, but also with his family in Netherlands. This is the gift that Ton has left us all.

Funeral will be held in the Sacred Space at Beechwood Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services on October 23, 2025 at 10:00 am. Reception will follow.