Visit the Smith Funeral Home website to send your condolences and support
In Loving Memory
Robert (Bob) Veenkamp
1930 — 2025
Inseparable in life, 36 days after the passing of his beloved wife Ann Veenkamp (nee Konynenbelt) of 69 years, Robert (Bob) Veenkamp followed her "home" during a brief stay in the palliative care unit at Bluewater Health in Sarnia, Ontario. As with their mother's passing on May 19, 2025, their surviving children were able to share tender moments at Bluewater with their father before he passed on June 25, 2025. Bob was 94 years old.
Born in St. Annen, Groningen, the Netherlands, on December 19, 1930, Bob immigrated to Canada with his parents and four siblings by way of the M.S. Kota Inten, boarding in Rotterdam and disembarking 10 days later in Quebec City, Quebec. Unlike many of the other passengers, who spent the voyage below deck seasick, Bob revelled in the breezes above deck, catching sight of dolphins, and whales hunted by fishing boats, and two mountainous icebergs that the ship had to detour around.
Once in Quebec, the family of seven boarded a train and travelled the rails to Sarnia, Ontario, where their sponsors, Albert and Wilhelmina Leuks, an aunt and uncle, had found them a house to live in on Blackwell Road.
Blessed with a photographic memory for auto parts and anything mechanical, the teenage Bob soon found full-time work in the garages downtown. In fact, Bob never faced a day's unemployment since his skills were always in demand. Although humble about his talents, Bob soon became a Class A mechanic and was able to fulfill a promise to his bride's father that he would always provide for her, and he did so faithfully for over 69 years.
Parents to four children, Bob and Ann were predeceased by their firstborn, Robert (Rob) in 1996, and are survived by Carol-Ann, Jeff (Elaine), and Mark. Grandchildren include Ryan (Christie), Chad (Brittany), Josh (Alessandra), Letitia (Will), Emily, and Melissa. Great grandchildren born to them include Lucy and Austin, Amelia and Kayce. Bob, the middle child of John C and Antje Veenkamp, was the last of his siblings, predeceased by Hennie, Theo, Adolph, and Teena.
Faithful throughout their lives to the Christian Reformed tradition, Bob and Ann were lifelong members of First Christian Reformed Church, Sarnia. Their promotion of Christian education continues even into death as any donations in their memory are requested for Sarnia Christian School, to be made (by cheque only) through Smith Funeral Home, 1576 London Line, Sarnia. Memories or condolences may be shared online via www.smithfuneralhome.ca.
A private committal service with immediate family members only was held at Blackwell Cemetery, Sarnia, ON.