Beryl Blaakman

BLAAKMAN, Beryl June (née Roberts) – Passed away peacefully at Strathcona Long Term Care, Mount Forest on Friday, September 6, 2024 at the age of 94. 

Beryl was born in pre-war England to John and Elsie Roberts, a baker and stay at home mom. She had an older brother, John, and two younger sisters, Pamela and Cecilia. Growing up was not easy as she and her sister Pam were given many of the household chores from a young age while other children were outside enjoying their childhoods. She did not shirk the responsibilities and found ways to make some of their duties more fun when possible. During the war, their home in Orpington was bombed at dinnertime and the family took cover under the dining room table. Luckily no one was badly hurt but the house was destroyed and the family relocated to a house in Bromley that was still standing in 1985.

Beryl left home as a teen and began working at a pharmacy, keeping close ties with Pam who entered nursing college. The sisters roomed together for awhile until she found her own place. She crossed the channel with Pam to visit France where they had a wonderful time exploring Paris post WWII.

Beryl learned to drive and was also a keen motorcycle fan, spending time at Bexley Heath Raceway with her friends where she met her first husband, Raymond Pollard. 

She was hired by a production company who transformed surplus into useful articles such as parachute silks into anoraks and bomber jackets into teddy bears. It was one of the first businesses to make toys for children after the war and it gave her a chance to hone her sewing skills, which lasted a lifetime. 

In the 1950’s, Beryl and Raymond Pollard married and immigrated to Canada, arriving in Montreal by boat, took the long train journey through Toronto, eventually landing in Guelph, Ontario where a sponsor gave them temporary housing. Beryl was hired by Harters Furniture who produced upholstered office furniture. She was a quick and accurate sewer who set the benchmark for other employees. 

The marriage with Raymond ended and they quietly divorced. Beryl continued working at Harters where she met Jack Blaakman, a fellow upholsterer from Holland. She made a large circle of friends and during her spare time, she captured many of their images with her trusty Ricohflex camera. They traveled all over Ontario to fiddle contests, tobogganing and other social events. One of her friends was a realtor who located a small house in Eden Mills, which she purchased in 1964.

Jack visited Eden Mills often adding rooms and a second floor to the house with materials she supplied. They married in Guelph and soon welcomed the birth of two daughters, Rina in 1965 and Yvette, a year later. While raising them, she continued to customize her home crafting it into the little piece of paradise uniquely her style and shared joyfully with countless friends and family who visited over the years. 

Beryl was a dedicated Mum and raised her girls in an atmosphere of love, support and creativity. She sewed clothes, spent countless hours indoors and out playing with her girls in the sun or snow, went on camping trips and daytrips, making crafts and nurturing several pets including a rabbit, many fish and later, a family of cats. She was always kind, compassionate and never without the enthusiasm to undertake something new be it carving and caring for a garden, undertaking home DIY projects or spending days crafting items with her daughters who inherited their mother’s creativity. Over the years her talented hands created hundreds of beautifully hand crafted items. Her skills included needlework, cake decorating, building marshmallow castles, weaving corn dollies, carving and clothing apple figures, building Styrofoam Santa houses filled with beautifully wrapped miniature packages and so much more. She was resourceful at creating beautiful items from next to nothing. There was little she wouldn’t attempt, and she became adept at many things either by choice or necessity. She was a ‘MacGyver’ with a great talent for design and an eye for colour and detail.

As her children grew, she volunteered her spare time with the local Women’s Institute, most often catering at the Eden Mills Community Hall during banquets. She organized a weekly fitness class in the community hall and volunteered with the local Brownies and Guides when her daughters joined the groups. She wasn’t religious but felt it important her girls attend Sunday School for fellowship which she set by example. To promote local artists, she created and executed an annual craft show to highlight their skills while downplaying her own gifts. She organized a weekly craft session at Eden House Seniors Home and produced items for their annual craft sale to support their daytrips. All of this, she accomplished without seeking recognition, never striving to be the center of attention. She grew many, many friendships and helped those who asked with dedication and grace.

Out of necessity, she started freelancing her housekeeping skills to local neighbours, eventually earning enough to buy her own vehicle and take her first trip back to England with her daughters to visit her sister, Pam, and explore country she loved and missed. It was a wonderful reunion hosted by Pamela and her family and she met relatives she hadn’t seen in decades. There was much laughter and love as the Aunties compared their Robert’s ankles. 

Over the years, she saw her daughters grow into creative women, inspired by her example. Rina put herself through design college and is a professional seamstress in Vancouver. Yvette turned her hand to many crafts, married Paul Stevens, and has raised a family giving Beryl three grandchildren whom she adored (Olivia, Cole and Natasha). Beryl is also survived by her nieces, Sue Kriewald and Claire Slyfield. 

She worked well into her 70’s until a back injury forced her to give it up. She cherished the quiet home that she created, preferring gardening to socializing, reading to entertaining. She was happy with a cup of tea and a good jigsaw puzzle. Alzheimer’s did not show itself until her late 80’s and she had many, many good years spending time with family and friends. 

When she passed at age 95, she lived a good, long life and her body was finally tired. She is survived by her husband, both daughters and three grandchildren, all of whom benefitted from her warmth, ever ready smile and words of encouragement. Her creativity and resourcefulness has been passed down to each generation. Hers was a unique life, and she will always be remembered with love by her family.

Private arrangements entrusted to England Funeral Home, Mount Forest. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of Beryl are asked to consider the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington.