August 13, 1944 – December 27, 2012
After a wonderful and full life, Tony, age 68, passed away peacefully at the Kiwanis Pavilion in Victoria, BC. Tony was born in Fritzlar, Germany during WWII to Jacoba and Heinz.
Tony is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Cindy Lazaruk. He is predeceased by parents Jacoba and Gerrit Lobbezoo, his father Heinz Oswald Knofel and auntie Henrika Pudek.
Tony is lovingly remembered by sister Helga (Jan) Bentley of Germany, brother Fred (Tina) Lobbezoo of Kamloops, mother-in-law Eva Lazaruk of Winnipeg, sisters-in-law Wonita (Victor) Giacomin of Burnaby, Susan Lazaruk of Vancouver, Linda (Mark) Murray of Kamloops, brother-in-law David Lazaruk of Winnipeg, nieces and nephews Nicole, Yvonne, Matthew, Liam, John Jerry, Chrissy, Stacey, Jeffrey, Bradley and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Tony was a man of intelligence, character, energy and compassion and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Tony had a love for the great outdoors and would go camping every weekend if he could. He travelled extensively, including a solo trip across the USA by motorcycle; a year long trip with Cindy across Canada and the USA; European trips to Germany & France; annual trips to Lake Tahoe, Nevada for skiing and the big island of Hawaii for diving. He was an expert water skiier, snow skiier and achieved his PADI Master Scuba certification in San Diego. His love of the outdoors, travelling and sports was a perfect outlet for his other passion; photography. Tony was very proud of his photos; particularly his underwater photos, for which he won awards. He even had one photograph used by Nikon in one of their advertisements.
Tony had such a unique and interesting life, which started in Germany, included a few years in Holland and ended up in Canada. Tony was a master story-teller and loved sharing his life experiences with anyone who would listen. One of our favorites is when he gave John Wayne directions to the post office in Victoria. As his dementia progressed, his stories got more elaborate, until he was telling everyone how he had met Elvis in Hawaii; swam with the polar bears in Antartica and our favorite, how he drove his rental car from Europe to South Africa.
Special thanks to the Alzheimer’s Society of Victoria, Pathways and extra special thanks to Maureen, Robin, Tereza, Lorriane and the staff at the Kiwanis Pavilion. Also to my family, to the Tarts, and Janice for all their support.
A Memorial Service will take place on January 19, 2013 at 2:00pm at McCall Bros. Floral Chapel, 1400 Vancouver St., Victoria, BC, (250) 385-4465 with a reception to follow.
Online condolences may be offered through www.mccallbros.com.
Donations can be made to any of the following charities in Tony Lobbezoo’s honour.
Children’s Wish Foundation
#119- 4240 Manor Street
Burnaby, BC, V5G 1B2
604-299-2241
http://www.childrenswish.ca/en-bc/donate
Alzheimer Society of BC
#202 – 306 Burnside Road West
Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M1
250-382-2052
Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavilion Foundation
3034 Cedar Hill Road
Victoria, BC Canada V8T 3J3
Tel: (250) 598-2022
Fax: (250) 598-0023
https://www.canadahelps.org/DonationDetails.aspx?cookieCheck=true
21 Responses
Dear Cindy,
We are so sorry to hear of Tony’s passing, He was a lovely man … we loved his storytelling! you two made a great team in your travels through life. Brian and I remember coming to visit you in your RV on Lougheed before one of your big trips.
Take great care Cindy and cherish all the wonderful memories that you have of your full life with Tony
Love Pam and Brian Curran and family
Dear Cindy,
I wanted to say how sorry I am to hear of Toni’s passing. Though I only knew Toni from his time at Pathways, his stories and pictures showed a life of adventure, and it was clear you two shared times that will never be forgotten. I will always remember his unparalleled enthusiasm when the group would wave at the cars each morning— Toni held the sign “Have a Great Day!” with a huge smile on his face. It was clear he loved making other people smile— a gift that I will honor everytime I think about him.
I wish to you strength and peace throughout this next leg of the journey. Please know that myself and my mom are here for you!
Natalie Huxtable
Dear Cindy,
I learned just the other day at the Kiwanis when Jan came up to me to say that you had lost your beloved Tony. And it was just a few days before that when you pointed him out on the Christmas tree in the lobby!
You have my deepest sympathy and also admiration for the way you have handled the situation. I hope you may still stop by the Caregiver’s Support Group now and then – it seems we all meet up at Kiwanis these days. Take care of yourself and cherish the many good memories you must surely have from the life you shared with Tony.
Wenche
Cindy, I am so sorry to hear of Tony’s death. His journey on earth has ended. What a journey or series of journeys it was! Wonderful memories for you to treasure. I am filled with sympathy for you. Josie
Toni,
Toni was frequent visitor at our Place in North western Ontario (Marathon) There he could relax and enjoy company of his 3 younger cousins and organizing various games mostly based on his ideas. One of his highlights though was fishing trip where for the first time in his lifetime he managed to land about 3 pound pickerel in one of the Lake Superior tributaries. This event he shared for some months afterwards and perhaps years with his cousins and his other mid teen friends.
Indeed, he also shared with us (auntie & uncle) many of his travel experiences and made them quite interesting.
We’ll miss you Toni.
Cindy,
Words can not express how you and everyone who knew Tony are feeling.
I feel honored to have shared so many good times with the both of you. I remember one time in Penticton, out on the boat, Tony diving into the freezing water and proclaiming how warm it was. I remember how he always wanted a “project” to do at my apartment, when you would come visit. His love of the outdoors is a passion we will always share. And I know, that at some point, Bev will get the story of Tonys’ life made into a movie!
My thoughts and prayers are with you and the rest of Tonys’ family. I will always feel blessed to have known him.
Love Janis and the rest of the Roitenberg family.
Many wonderful things many have remembered about Tony, but most of all we will miss his presence and his knowledge , he was one of a kind now the heavens can share this wonderful person. Goildie, Larry Chernoff and Mary Valenti
I have such great memories of Tony. I recall one sunny afternoon in HSB. Our daughter was scooting around in her walker – Tony was following close behind like a mother hen. He took photos – so many precious photos – of her in her “baby sunglasses”. He was such a talented photpographer. His diving photos rivaled Jacques Cousteau! His love of travel and exploration made him an excellent story teller! He had so many interesting experiences and knowledge of so many things. He was a kind, warm and soft spoken man. I will always smile when I remember him… with love and deepest sympathy, Beverly Chernoff-Loughran and family.
Cindy, we have been honoured to know Tony, even if for a brief time over the last few years since we moved to Victoria. He truly was a man of integrity, and his love for you was always present. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to you, Tony’s family, your family, and all of his dear friends. May Tony’s memory and special stories be treasured by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
… With Love, Brian, Carolyn & Davis
I had met Tony a few times, through my friendship with his sister-in- law, Wonita. I am so grateful for that, as he was truly, such a nice, genuine, gentleman. I had never met anyone like him.
Although I didn’t know hiim that well, he had the gift of making you feel like you did! I always looked forward to seeing him and hearing what he was up to.
In reading his obituary, I learned the depth of his lifetime experiences. What an incredible man.
Cindy…I am sincerely so sorry for your loss. Please let me express my sympathies to you and all of your family.