May 21, 1932 – February 19, 2009
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather. Hans died peacefully, surrounded by his three daughters, Britt-Inger (Philip), Marie-Anne (Rick) and Christine (Dave), and accompanied by the singing of his beloved wife, Gun-Britt. “Morfar” will be deeply missed by his granddaughters Amy (Al), Nikki, Ashley & Sabrina; his grandsons, Shane and Jacob; and his great granddaughter, Peyton. Hans was a devoted and caring husband to the love of his life, Gun-Britt, for over 52 years. He is also survived by his brother Hakan (Britt) Olofsson of Los Angeles.
Hans was born in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden where he was employed in the newspaper business for 16 years before immigrating to Victoria with his family in 1964. After owning a second hand furniture store in Esquimalt for a number of years, he returned to the Times Colonist where he worked as a printer in the composing room until his retirement. Proud of his heritage, Hans formed the Swedish Club in Victoria in 1997, and was an ambassador and host to many visiting Swedish sports teams. After taking up running at the age of 50, Hans ran a total of five marathons, his last being the Stockholm marathon, a life-long dream. Hans lived life to the fullest, parasailing at age 60, and climbing the tallest mountain in Sweden at age 70. He was a longtime member of the Crystal Pool and belonged to the Garden City Wanderers walking club. Hans was an active member of the Victoria community, and volunteered for many local events. The highlight of his Christmas holidays was being “Santa”, an undertaking he loved and treasured for many years. Above all else, Hans cherished his time with family and friends. His wonderful sense of humour and kindness left a lasting impression on all who met him, and he will be greatly missed. A celebration of Hans’ life will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, March 2, 2009 at Glad Tidings Church, 1800 Quadra Street, Victoria, B.C. with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavilion Foundation, 3034 Cedar Hill, Victoria, B.C. V8T 3J3, where his wife Gun-Britt continues to reside under the loving care of the dedicated staff.
12 Responses
It is with heavy hearts that we give you our most sincere condolences on the passing of your father. We had met him shortly after having moved into our residence in 2000. He and his wife were always the most pleasant people whenever we saw them. It was for our grandchildren that he and Gun-Britt gave their last performance as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Even after she went into care, we still saw him smiling and outgoing whenever he was around. Again, we offer our deepest condolences on his passing.
Pat and Ted Mills
Dear girls, I continue to find wonderful emails from Hans and will treasure them in years to come. And all the photos he sent to keep me up-to-date on what was happening in his growing family. He was so proud of his girls and their families, and it was so apparent to all. I can feel your big loss.
Today I have sent a cheque to Kiwanis from the Jonsson family in his honour. Rest in peace, dear Hans. Thanks for the joy you spread in this world. You were larger than life, and so mischievous. We still smile at some of the tricks you pulled. Kasandra Cassells