It is with great sadness that we announce that our beloved mother, wife and Oma, passed away January 1, 2026, a month shy of her 92nd birthday. Thea was born in the Netherlands. She was the second eldest of 11 children. Married Martin and shortly after immigrated to Canada and a family was started. Thea leaves behind her husband Martin (68 years married), children Yvonne (Fred), Karen (Ian), Martin, Annette (Peter), Andre (Kristina), Frances, who passed away and 8 grandchildren. We’re sure Mom is busy trying to teach whoever to knit, crochet and sew in heaven. She will be deeply missed.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 2:00 pm.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Schoorl” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
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Lenie- Jacqueline
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Maida Neilson Dear Yvonne , Many condolences on the death of your mother. She will be missed by many. I am sure that you will be heartbroken by her passing. If there is anything I can do to help , please let me know.
Fondly. Maida
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André Schoorl My mom, Thea, filled the world with warmth through her hands and her heart. She was always making something, knitting, sewing, crocheting, baking, quilting, gardening, and creating gifts that carried her love into other people’s lives. She could take a simple box of donated yarn and turn it into something beautiful, and her quilts in particular brought comfort far beyond our family.
Just as lasting was the way she welcomed people. Family gatherings grew and changed over the years, but she always made room at the table, and she had a gift for striking up a friendly conversation with anyone. Her home felt brighter because she was in it.
She also had a true green thumb. With intuition and care, she brought flowers, vegetables, and even struggling plants back to life, and her garden became a source of joy and abundance for all of us.
I miss her deeply, and I am grateful for her creativity, generosity, and the steady love she gave our family.
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Janet Laxton/Dave Scott/Sarah Laxton-Scott We have been neighbours for many years and enjoyed our many chats with Thea and Martin when we were out on our walks. In December of 2024, my mom shared a room with Thea at Victoria General Hospital. We will never forget Thea’s incredible kindness to mom, and we really enjoyed our many visits with Thea during that period of time. She was a lovely person. Our condolences to all her family,
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Lori Stocks So sorry to hear of Thea’s passing. I sat beside her at our Blankets for Canada knitting group and always enjoyed our chats. I also have a couple of the dolls she knitted and will cherish them in her memory.
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Astrid van Haaster Dear Uncle Martin and family,
Our thoughts are with you as you mourn the loss of Aunt Thea.
May you find peace and comfort in the memories you shared. What you keep in your heart is something you never lose.I will always remember her radiant smile. I noticed that even as a child.
With love, much love and strength, much strength.
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Astrid van Haaster (& Ivar van der Moolen) Dear Uncle Martin and family,
My thoughts are with you as you mourn the loss of Aunt Thea.
May you find peace and comfort in the memories you shared. What you keep in your heart is something you never lose.
I will always remember her radiant smile. I noticed that even as a child.
With love, much love and strength, much strength.
Astrid & Ivar
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Sandra Wildeman Lieve familie, gecondoleerd met het verlies van jullie echtgenote, moeder, schoonmoeder en oma, Thea, de oudste zus van mijn moeder. Ik wens jullie ongelofelijk veel sterkte. Mijn diepste medeleven.
Sandra
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Whitney My deepest condolences to all Thea’s family.
I am incredibly grateful to have lived next door to Martin and Thea for so much of my life. All the tea and cookies on the back porch, picking vegetables in the big garden, learning how to knit in the living room, baking bread and enjoying it warm from the oven. Thea taught me about so many things and I cherish these memories that are filled with warmth and the sound of laughter.I am holding Martin and all the family in my heart.
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Theo and Monique Dear Uncle Martin and family members,
Our deepest condolences for the passing of our Aunt Thea. We will cherish her hospitality and kindness during our many visits over the years. When at home, it was always nice to stay in touch via Skype/Teams to share the latest news of the cousins and family in Canada and in the Netherlands.
Our thoughts are with you all, and we wish you all the strength during this difficult time.
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Sarah Clarke My condolences to the Schoorl family, on the loss of their loved one. I was friends with Mrs. Schoorl’s daughter, Frances, and through her, met Mrs. Schoorl. A very kind caring lady. And yes, I’ve seen some of her handiwork, including her quilts – a work of art.
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Mariella Koelemij My sincere condolences for this great loss of Tante Thea! Give a hug to my loved ones in heaven❤️Rest in peace Dear Tante Thea
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Maureen and Bob Riggs Our condolences to Yvonne, Fred and family. Thinking of you at this time.
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Ed en Wilma van den Berg Dear Uncle Martin and family,
Our condolences on the passing of Aunt Thea.
We have fond memories of Thea’s hospitality and cheerfulness and the fun we had together during our visits. We will always cherish that.
Our Skype conversations were nice to keep in contact and to show our latest needlework projects.
May the love and memories you shared bring you comfort during this difficult time.
Our thoughts are with you.Ed en Wilma van den Berg
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Louise and Perry Arnott Thinking of you Yvonne at this tough time. What a beautiful photo you chose to capture the essence of your Mom. Cherish the memories.
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Jolanda en Hans Sleijster Dear Uncle Martin and family,
Our condolences on the passing of Aunt Thea.
We’ll always remember Aunt Thea’s cheerfulness and spontaneity. And certainly also the wonderful times we spent together in Canada and the Netherlands.
Whishing you strength and comfort.
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Elly Delemarre-Schoorl Dear Uncle Martin and family,
My condolences on the loss of your dear wife, mother and grandmother. What a beautiful life she had, and you will miss her so much. What remains are the beautiful moments and memories. Wishing you much strength.
Rest in peace, Aunt TheaElly and Ben Delemarre-Schoorl
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Bernadette en Paul Dear uncle Martin and family,
Our thoughts are with you as you mourn the loss of aunt Thea.
May you find peace and comfort in the memories you shared.
I will always remember her kindness.
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Marja Schoorl lieve (verre) familie,
Van mijn broerMarcel hoorde ik over het overlijden van tante Thea.Ze is net zo oud geworden als mijn moederJanny en mijn vader Frans. Hopelijk hebben jullie net zo veel liefde van haar gekregen als ik van hen! Ik wens jullie veel sterkte met het afscheid en gemis.
Lieve groeten,
Marja Schoorl
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Joke Looij-Schoorl Lieve familie
Gecondoleerd met het verlies van jullie moeder!! Het blijft altijd moeilijk om een dierbare te verliezen ongeacht haar leeftijd.
Heel veel sterkte voor nu en de komende tijd!Lieve groetjes Joke en Ben
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Harold en Bea Koelemij Dear Family. our deepest respect and strength for the coming time.
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Marcel & Ina Schoorl It is with sorrow and respect that we remember your beloved wife, Mom and our tante Thea. We have been knowing Thea since she – being a 19 year old girl- was entering the “Schoorl” family.
We will always remember her as a nice and optimistic person.
We wish you strength in the next difficult period of time.
Love,Marcel and Ina
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Nico Koelemij Dear family,
I’m very sorry for your loss. Please know I’m thinking of you.Missing the conversations with Thea, via Skype, Messenger and Teams.
She was my last speaking sister,………. it hurts.
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Barbara van egmond koelemij lieve tante al spraken we elkaar maar een enkele keer, ik heb daar enorm van genoten en zal zeker nooit vergeten worden. je zal altijd in me gedachte blijven.dikke kus en rust in vrede.
Dear aunty we didnt talk alot together but the time we did i enjoyed it verry much. you will never been forgotten. you will be always on my mind big Kiss and rest in peace
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Anthony Roos We are so sorry to hear of your loss. We have many fond memories of visits and the wonderful crafts Thea created , and her contagious laugh. Sending strength during this difficult time .
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Jacques van Bodegraven My condolences to the family.
Jacques ( husband of Frances)
Oom Martin en familie onze oprechte deelneming met het verlies van tante Thea heel veel sterkte toegewenst met dit verlies