May 14, 1920 - November 5, 2019
Born in Hilversum, the Netherlands, on May 14th, 1920, Trudi passed away peacefully on November 5th, 2019, in Victoria, BC.
Trudi was an extraordinary woman, who was young at heart until the very end. She was dearly loved by her family and her many friends. She was predeceased by her husband Lou Westermann in 2004.
Trudi and Lou immigrated to Canada in 1951 with their young family and settled in the Cowichan Valley where Trudi remained until 2017. Trudi and Lou were active members of the Dutch resistance during World War Two.
Throughout her life, Trudi maintained a keen interest in world events. She gave generously to many charities, including The Canadian Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Someone Marsh Wildlife Society, and the B.C SPCA. She worked as a darkroom technician at the Duncan Pictorial and later at the Cowichan Leader newspapers during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was a very talented weaver, and was one of the founding members of the local Weavers Guild. She started The Loom shop in Whippletree Junction in Duncan in 1974, selling locally made looms, spinning wheels, yarns, pottery and beads. She loved to spend time in her garden, in amongst the plants and birds.
Trudi is survived by her daughters: Annie Weeks (and her wife Phyllis Serota), Victoria; Renske Sagar (and her husband Jeremy), Duncan; Frances Westermann (and her husband Tom Faue), Duncan; by her grandchildren Josie Sagar (and her husband Jonathan Coughlan), Edmonton; Peter Sagar (and his fiancee Salina Ladha), Toronto; and by her great-granddaughter, Murphie Coughlan (Edmonton). She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and their children in The Netherlands.
Many thanks to the staff on the 4th floor of the Selkirk Place Seniors Home in Victoria, where Trudi spent her final two years, and to Dr. Matthew Vaughn who gave so much care and compassion. Special thanks also to her companion Brenda Beardsley, who showed such immense kindness, and to every one of Trudi's friends who took the time to keep in touch, including relatives in the Netherlands and here on the West Coast.
Trudi's cremated remains will be buried next to Lou's in the All Saints Cemetery in Westholme next to the Chemainus River.