Antje “Ank” Postma

Antje Postma, affectionately known as “Ank” passed away with her family by her side at the Chatham-Kent Hospice on Thursday December 29, 2016. Ank was born in the Netherlands 67 years ago to her late parents Johanna & Frederick Hengelaar. In 1977 as a young mother and a Public Health Nurse, she emigrated to Canada. Determined to make a good life for her children, she learned to speak English by watching Sesame Street and in 1980 after completing courses in Canada she fulfilled the requirements of becoming a Registered Nurse in Canada and accepted a job at the Southwestern Regional Centre.

Ank was a wonderful mother to her daughters Johanna & Tim VanDriel of Beamsville, Gracia & Paul Hendrie of Chatham and Klarika & Mike Hamer of Port Elgin and to her son Ricky Postma of Blenheim. She was so happy when she became a grandmother to Callum, Caelyn, Daria and Rhys. She was expecting her fifth grandchild in February.

Ank will be fondly remembered by her siblings and their spouses Hennie & Joop Corba, Gerrie & Sietse deHaan, Femmie & Gerrit vanArragon, Marianne & Henk Luttikhof, Frits & Wilma Hengelaar and Susan Hengelaar (late Gerrit Jan).

In keeping with Ank’s wishes, cremation will take place. A time of visitation with her children will take place at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Wednesday January 4, 2017 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Ank’s urn will be interred in Holland at a later date.

Friends wishing to remember Ank with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Chatham-Kent Hospice.

One of life’s greatest gifts is to have friends and Mom was blessed to have many. Your support through her journey meant more to her and to us than you can ever know. We would like to extend a huge thanks to all of you and especially to Mom’s nursing friends Fay Williston, Kay Bateman, Karen Kuchta, Judith Girty and to Joanne Henderson for being there when we couldn’t be and making sure that Mom was never alone.

Johanna, Gracia, Klarika and Ricky