Helena “Lena” Zyp of Iroquois, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 20, 2012. She was 72.
Lena was the dearly beloved wife of the late Hendrick “Hank” Zyp who passed away on January 20, 2008.
Born Helena Petronella Vanderydt on March 2, 1940, in The Netherlands Lena was the daughter of the late Martinus and Johanna Vanderydt.
The family immigrated to Canada in 1952, and settled on a farm just outside of Morrisburg. A short time later they moved to a farm in Lancaster and it was there that Lena met Hank. On October 22, 1960, they were married.
In 1964, Hank and Lena purchased the farm in Morrisburg from Lena’s parents and there they made a life for themselves. In July of 1992, just after Hank’s 60th birthday, the cows were sold and they officially retired. Being all of 52 years old, Lena was a little too young to fully retire, so for a while she worked part time in home care for the Red Cross.
Lena loved the time she spent with her family and friends. She always jumped at the chance to play some cards, or grab a coffee or a meal at a restaurant somewhere. She enjoyed bowling and was a member of a league for a number of years.
In her quiet time you would find her doing a hobby of some sort. Needlepoint was her favorite, but quilting, crocheting, jigsaw puzzles, her flower garden and television game shows were right up there on her list of fun things.
However, the one thing she enjoyed the most was travelling and sightseeing. Whether it was a one day excursion or a 10 day road trip, a weekend camping or an adventure across the ocean, Hank and Lena were always, either on a trip, or planning their next one.
And the one thing that always made their trips better was when they travelled with someone. Many people can tell you about the time they spent travelling with Hank and Lena.
Hank drove, but Lena was the road map. It didn’t matter where they were going; she knew how to get there. Hank always relied on her for directions.
One of her favorite stories to tell was the time she dozed off returning from Cornwall on the 401, and Hank drove past the Morrisburg exit. She always said it was because, “I wasn’t awake to tell him where to exit.” With a smile he would defend himself saying, “I didn’t miss it, I wanted to go to Iroquois”. I guess we’ll never know the real reason why he drove beyond the exit.
After Hank passed away, Lena continued to enjoy the chance to travel. She still got away often; however trips now were designed to be spent enjoying extended periods of time with family and friends.
Whether it was Holland, The Bahamas, England or a road trip through Canada or the USA, it was always the time spent with family and friends that she loved more than anything.
Lena was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She is survived by her three children Kenneth, Susan Lewis (David), and Karen, and by three grandchildren Thomas (Melissa), Tyler (Stephany) and Joshua.
She will be fondly remembered by nine great-grandchildren Arizona, Brodie, Nevaeh, Dawson, Lukas, Cheyenne, Brady, Haylee and Dominick.
She is also survived by seven brothers and three sisters, Ted (Mary), Nell Pilon (Morris), Tina Verhoeven (Harry), Bill (Pat), Jerry (Helen), Martin (Mary), John (Jo-Anne), Peter, Mary Peters (Tony) and Tony (Annette) and many, many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws.
She was pre-deceased by her husband Hank (2008), her parents Martinus (2005) and Johanna (1994) and an infant brother Adrian.
Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home in Iroquois on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.
Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated on Thursday, May 24, 2012, at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Morrisburg.
Pallbearers were her brothers Ted, Jerry, Martin, John, Peter, and Tony Vanderydt. Honourary pallbearer was Bill Vanderydt. Interment was at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Morrisburg.
Memorial donations to Cornwall Hospice, Winchester District Memorial Hospital or the Cancer Society will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com
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