Sep 30, 2016
Just a Note
"Sometimes answers to prayers come at midnight and sometimes they don't come at all. Sometimes we search everywhere for happiness and see that others have it but don't realize they simply created it for themselves. Sometimes we don't recognize that this life, this world, is all one heartbeat and we are more connected than we think. This life is good, people, it is so so good, and within us is the power to make it even more so." - Heather Goodman (insta @hbgoodie)
Sep 12, 2016
A Brief Biography of Albert Suk
Born in Sappemeer, The Netherlands, Albert Suk immigrated to Canada in 1954 with his whole life ahead of him. His lifelong love of learning, service, and dedication to family has impacted everyone around him.
Albert's life story began when he was born on September 8th, 1935, to parents John and Dianne Suk. It was a rainy, hot Sunday afternoon in Sappemeer, a little Dutch village in Groningen province (northern Netherlands). His birth weight was 11 pounds, which was, in Albert's opinion, "...rather big to say the least!"
Albert's father, John (Jan) Suk, was born on November 24, 1905, in the small Dutch town of Smilde. Unlike his father, Albert had the privilege of growing up with a dad. John's father had died when John was only four years old. Albert's mother, Dianne (Dirkje) ten Caat, was born on March 27, 1909, in a village named Anloo. She had quite a large family consisting of nine children and two parents. (Sidenote: John and Dianne grew up in the same province of Drenthe, 10km southwest and 10km east of Assen, respectively).
Albert grew up in a beautiful Christian family environment, which would greatly impact his life forever. Growing up in Sappemeer, Albert always loved to play games and have fun with his friends and siblings. There were many children in Albert's family, although the number was never the same because a couple of his brothers and sisters had died in their childhood.
When Albert was six years old he had a very close Jewish friend named Philip Simons. Despite religious differences -- Albert was Christian and Philip was Jewish -- the boys loved to play together in the neighbourhood. Philip's family owned a kosher dairy at the time, so the boys would usually play over at his dairy. One day, in 1941, Philip's family came over to the Suk household and said goodbye. Looking back, Albert remembers Philip being 'happy as a lark' because his family was going on a so-called extended vacation. Albert also remembers his mother, Dianne, crying, but at the time was unable to understand what was going on. Philip Simons and his family never returned; they were likely killed in a Jewish extermination camp during the war. It was the same with many Jewish families in the Suks' neighbourhood; they would leave and never come back.
Albert Suk went to the local Christian school in his town, which went up to Grade 6. His favourite childhood games were 'Kick the Can' and soccer. His childhood interest in stamps had sparked a lifelong love of collecting stamps, likely stemming from the gift of an entire stamp collection passed on from a family member.
Albert also had another side to his personality-- one which won't come as a surprise to anyone who knew him. His spirit of mischievousness began in his childhood and was perfected over a lifetime. Once, when he was 10 years old, Albert's old 'spinster' teacher sent him out of the class and into a storage room for punishment. While in that room, Albert concocted an idea that consisted of chairs, a set of doors, and his teacher. Albert carefully stacked every single chair he could find against the two double doors. He knew that once someone opened the doors they would be floored by all of the chairs! That was exactly what happened when his teacher came to retrieve Albert an hour later. Though funny at the time, Albert later commented that it was not a laughing matter when the principal and his parents became involved. Looking back on his earlier years, Albert commented on his character by saying, "Character never really changes: I had a short fuse then, and I still struggle with that."
Growing up and moving on to bigger and better things, Albert entered high school in approximately 1947. History was his favourite subject all throughout his high school years, which he credits to a wonderful history teacher. When asked about who his best friends were at this time, Albert replied, "Good grief! They were all my friends!" However, two boys named Harry and George stood out as his two favourits. In the summer of 1949, George and Albert went on a three-week biking trip by themselves. They slept overnight in barns, youth hostels, and at relatives' houses across the Netherlands.
In 1951 Albert graduated from the Christian high school and, not too long after that, a job opened up in the local science laboratory. Since he hadn't taken a single Science course during high school, Albert decided to take some night school courses. A little while later, Albert had successfully obtained the job as a Junior Lab Assistant, essentially an apprenticeship program run in the chemistry section of the lab. In his late teens, Albert was on his way to a fruitful career.
In the Netherlands during the 1950s, immigration became very popular. So popular, in fact, that Albert said it was being called "male menopause" at the time! Many countries were opening their arms to immigrants, eager to let new people come in. After ruling out countries such as the United State and Australia, John and Dianne Suk and their family sold everything they owned and purchased flights to Canada. (Side note: they had to fly into the Montreal airport, because at that time Toronto's airport was too small for international flights.) It must have been very difficult for his family to move because Albert had siblings ranging from two to 21 years old!
The Suks officially entered Canada during a harsh snowstorm on January 27, 1954, landing in Montreal after circling many times over the city. Overall the immigration process had been fairly easy because one of Albert's uncles was already a resident of Canada and had sponsored the family. The Suks took a train from Montreal to Toronto, Toronto to Hamilton, and then from Hamilton to Niagara Falls. Their first home was an upstairs apartment at 848 Ontario Street, St. Catherines, Ontario, but they did not live there long due to noise complaints from the apartment below.
Their next house was on Lincoln Avenue and it was quite large. But the Suks had to share the house with three other families, resulting in 24 people living under one roof for a whole year. When asked if it was hard to find jobs in Canada, Albert explained that since everyone in the Netherlands had to take four years of French, four years of German, three years of English, and many years of Dutch, it was easy to find jobs. His entire family spoke English, which was advantageous. Almost immediately after arriving in St. Catherines, Albert became a shipping clerk, his sister became a nurse, and his brother, Bill, began to work at a bank. A little while later Albert found a new job at CIL, a chemical research company, and worked there for three years. He also obtained an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
A chance encounter occurred on a Friday afternoon in St. Catherines. A couple of years before they formally met, Albert bumped into Lynn Drenth on the street. He had just stepped off his bus after attending university classes when Lynn, a very young woman at the time, asked him for directions to the nearest hobby shop. He thought to himself, Now that is an attractive girl! He thought about asking her on a date sometime, but it was not until his mid-20s that Albert formally met her at a church they both attended in St. Catherines. Albert asked Lynn out for dinner and she said yes... but with one exception. "Two of her friends were to come as bodyguards," Albert said in his later years, chuckling. On August 24th, after a couple of months of dating, Albert proposed to Lynn. She accepted, and 13 months later they were married. Their wedding date was set for September 25, 1964, and all of their marriage plans worked out well. Money wasn't growing on trees at the time, and so their honeymoon was a seven-day trip touring Ontario and Quebec by car.
The next year, on August 14, 1965, their first child was born. Albert was 29 years old and Lynn was 24. Their daughter, Emily Christine Suk, was born in Toronto, Ontario. Within their first six years of marriage, Albert and Lynn had five children, the last two of which were twin boys. The children were, from oldest to youngest: Emily, James (Jim), Allen, Wayne, and John. Born just six minutes apart, Wayne and John were surprise twins. At the time, Lynn hadn't had ultrasonography during her pregnancies, and so when the doctor yelled "I see another pair of feet!" it came as a complete surprise.
Albert and Lynn had a very happy family, and they often went on many family vacations and trips together. One trip Albert remembers in particular was to the Canadian Maritimes (eastern Canada). He decided to take his sons on a little deep-sea fishing excursion. His youngest son, John, was very frightened of being on a boat on the rocking ocean, and he kept on screaming "YOU!" while pointing at his father. "You took us all out on this boat so that we could all drown!" A few minutes later, John reeled in the largest sea bass any of the boys had seen in their lives. John stopped complaining immediately after that, and he never mentioned the drowning nonsense again. It was a very memorable trip, according to Albert.
During his entrepreneurial years, Albert applied for several patents for his new water-based paint inventions. One of his most notable patents was a polymer application for water-based paint in an aerosol spray can. This invention is still being used worldwide! (Although the company he worked for at the time likely benefitted the most from it). Following several job changes, Albert finally decided to start his own business, known as Ridgetop Chemicals.
Throughout his career, Albert always focused on continuing his education. This continued education included French immersion classes, Advanced Organic Chemistry at the University of Toronto, a Business Administration course at the University of Western Ontario, and a Financial Management course at Ryerson University. The list continues with a Canadian Securities course, which allowed Albert to legally deal and trade on the stock market. He also took a Real Estate course "just for the fun of it". According to Albert, "The more you know, you realize that you know very little. People who know very little will tell you that they know everything."
Eight years after starting his own business, Albert sold Ridgetop Chemicals for a nice sum of money, returning a healthy profit. Looking back on his successful career, Albert said that he had no idea why he chose to go into chemistry. If he could turn back and re-pick a career, he would have hands-down chosen to be a lawyer. He often joked about that!
Going into retirement, Albert said that the most important lesson he learned over the years was to be content with everything while being kind to others.
Since he sold his company, Albert and Lynn were able to take many month-long vacations to exotic destinations. This included a cruise from Hong Kong to Australia, stopping in the Philippines, Indonesia, and a handful of other countries. Other trips included Mexico, Aruba, Cuba, all over Europe, Israel, and Egypt, just to name a few.
Tragically, Albert's father died on Friday, September 21, 1984, and his mother passed away four years later on November 6, 1988, just six weeks before the birth of their first great-grandchild. Albert and Lynn's first grandchild was born on December 21, 1988, to Richard and Emily Kooistra of Richmond Hill, Ontario. She was named Caitlyn Marie Kooistra, chosen by her father as a combination of her grandmothers' names: Clara and Lynn. Several years later, Albert was able to boast about his many grandchildren -- 15 in total -- and two great-grandchildren. The family was also made larger by the welcoming of the four Neutel cousins into the family following the death of their parents in the 1986. The Neutel children, Denise, Julie, Ryan and Amy, continued to participate in the family life throughout the years.
At the time of this writing (2004), Albert enjoyed offering pastoral care at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. He had also spent time throughout his life serving as an Elder and Council member in the Christian Reformed Church. He also served on several boards, including one for Ecumenical Housing in Richmond Hill. He had the ability to make a positive impact on others' lives and was always able to lend a listening ear. He became a part of the lives of everyone around him.
Throughout the 90s, 00's, and into his final years, Albert "worked" for his sons by assisting with laboratory work that needed to be done. (His sons all own their own businesses.) In a joking manner, Albert said, "I get paid by the week, but very weakly." His favourite hobbies were reading historical books (or a book of any kind), taking his wife on trips all around the world, and learning new things every day. All of the hardships and good times that he went through during his lifetime shaped him into the unique, wise person we all knew.
After taking a closer look at his life, it is undoubtedly easy to see that Albert Suk led a fulfilling, God-centred life and is a prime example of a life well lived. His favourite saying was this: "Make today your day... because the past is gone and the future is not in our hands."
Albert's life story began when he was born on September 8th, 1935, to parents John and Dianne Suk. It was a rainy, hot Sunday afternoon in Sappemeer, a little Dutch village in Groningen province (northern Netherlands). His birth weight was 11 pounds, which was, in Albert's opinion, "...rather big to say the least!"
Albert in his early years
Albert's father, John (Jan) Suk, was born on November 24, 1905, in the small Dutch town of Smilde. Unlike his father, Albert had the privilege of growing up with a dad. John's father had died when John was only four years old. Albert's mother, Dianne (Dirkje) ten Caat, was born on March 27, 1909, in a village named Anloo. She had quite a large family consisting of nine children and two parents. (Sidenote: John and Dianne grew up in the same province of Drenthe, 10km southwest and 10km east of Assen, respectively).
Albert grew up in a beautiful Christian family environment, which would greatly impact his life forever. Growing up in Sappemeer, Albert always loved to play games and have fun with his friends and siblings. There were many children in Albert's family, although the number was never the same because a couple of his brothers and sisters had died in their childhood.
Suk Family ~ Albert, top right
When Albert was six years old he had a very close Jewish friend named Philip Simons. Despite religious differences -- Albert was Christian and Philip was Jewish -- the boys loved to play together in the neighbourhood. Philip's family owned a kosher dairy at the time, so the boys would usually play over at his dairy. One day, in 1941, Philip's family came over to the Suk household and said goodbye. Looking back, Albert remembers Philip being 'happy as a lark' because his family was going on a so-called extended vacation. Albert also remembers his mother, Dianne, crying, but at the time was unable to understand what was going on. Philip Simons and his family never returned; they were likely killed in a Jewish extermination camp during the war. It was the same with many Jewish families in the Suks' neighbourhood; they would leave and never come back.
Albert Suk went to the local Christian school in his town, which went up to Grade 6. His favourite childhood games were 'Kick the Can' and soccer. His childhood interest in stamps had sparked a lifelong love of collecting stamps, likely stemming from the gift of an entire stamp collection passed on from a family member.
Albert as a student ~ 2nd from left, bottom row
Albert also had another side to his personality-- one which won't come as a surprise to anyone who knew him. His spirit of mischievousness began in his childhood and was perfected over a lifetime. Once, when he was 10 years old, Albert's old 'spinster' teacher sent him out of the class and into a storage room for punishment. While in that room, Albert concocted an idea that consisted of chairs, a set of doors, and his teacher. Albert carefully stacked every single chair he could find against the two double doors. He knew that once someone opened the doors they would be floored by all of the chairs! That was exactly what happened when his teacher came to retrieve Albert an hour later. Though funny at the time, Albert later commented that it was not a laughing matter when the principal and his parents became involved. Looking back on his earlier years, Albert commented on his character by saying, "Character never really changes: I had a short fuse then, and I still struggle with that."
Growing up and moving on to bigger and better things, Albert entered high school in approximately 1947. History was his favourite subject all throughout his high school years, which he credits to a wonderful history teacher. When asked about who his best friends were at this time, Albert replied, "Good grief! They were all my friends!" However, two boys named Harry and George stood out as his two favourits. In the summer of 1949, George and Albert went on a three-week biking trip by themselves. They slept overnight in barns, youth hostels, and at relatives' houses across the Netherlands.
In 1951 Albert graduated from the Christian high school and, not too long after that, a job opened up in the local science laboratory. Since he hadn't taken a single Science course during high school, Albert decided to take some night school courses. A little while later, Albert had successfully obtained the job as a Junior Lab Assistant, essentially an apprenticeship program run in the chemistry section of the lab. In his late teens, Albert was on his way to a fruitful career.
In the Netherlands during the 1950s, immigration became very popular. So popular, in fact, that Albert said it was being called "male menopause" at the time! Many countries were opening their arms to immigrants, eager to let new people come in. After ruling out countries such as the United State and Australia, John and Dianne Suk and their family sold everything they owned and purchased flights to Canada. (Side note: they had to fly into the Montreal airport, because at that time Toronto's airport was too small for international flights.) It must have been very difficult for his family to move because Albert had siblings ranging from two to 21 years old!
Leaving for Canada ~ 1954
The Suks officially entered Canada during a harsh snowstorm on January 27, 1954, landing in Montreal after circling many times over the city. Overall the immigration process had been fairly easy because one of Albert's uncles was already a resident of Canada and had sponsored the family. The Suks took a train from Montreal to Toronto, Toronto to Hamilton, and then from Hamilton to Niagara Falls. Their first home was an upstairs apartment at 848 Ontario Street, St. Catherines, Ontario, but they did not live there long due to noise complaints from the apartment below.
848 Ontario Street ~ St. Catherines, Ontario
Their next house was on Lincoln Avenue and it was quite large. But the Suks had to share the house with three other families, resulting in 24 people living under one roof for a whole year. When asked if it was hard to find jobs in Canada, Albert explained that since everyone in the Netherlands had to take four years of French, four years of German, three years of English, and many years of Dutch, it was easy to find jobs. His entire family spoke English, which was advantageous. Almost immediately after arriving in St. Catherines, Albert became a shipping clerk, his sister became a nurse, and his brother, Bill, began to work at a bank. A little while later Albert found a new job at CIL, a chemical research company, and worked there for three years. He also obtained an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
A chance encounter occurred on a Friday afternoon in St. Catherines. A couple of years before they formally met, Albert bumped into Lynn Drenth on the street. He had just stepped off his bus after attending university classes when Lynn, a very young woman at the time, asked him for directions to the nearest hobby shop. He thought to himself, Now that is an attractive girl! He thought about asking her on a date sometime, but it was not until his mid-20s that Albert formally met her at a church they both attended in St. Catherines. Albert asked Lynn out for dinner and she said yes... but with one exception. "Two of her friends were to come as bodyguards," Albert said in his later years, chuckling. On August 24th, after a couple of months of dating, Albert proposed to Lynn. She accepted, and 13 months later they were married. Their wedding date was set for September 25, 1964, and all of their marriage plans worked out well. Money wasn't growing on trees at the time, and so their honeymoon was a seven-day trip touring Ontario and Quebec by car.
Wedding Day ~ September 25, 1964
The next year, on August 14, 1965, their first child was born. Albert was 29 years old and Lynn was 24. Their daughter, Emily Christine Suk, was born in Toronto, Ontario. Within their first six years of marriage, Albert and Lynn had five children, the last two of which were twin boys. The children were, from oldest to youngest: Emily, James (Jim), Allen, Wayne, and John. Born just six minutes apart, Wayne and John were surprise twins. At the time, Lynn hadn't had ultrasonography during her pregnancies, and so when the doctor yelled "I see another pair of feet!" it came as a complete surprise.
Albert & Lynn ~ baptism of their twins
Albert and Lynn had a very happy family, and they often went on many family vacations and trips together. One trip Albert remembers in particular was to the Canadian Maritimes (eastern Canada). He decided to take his sons on a little deep-sea fishing excursion. His youngest son, John, was very frightened of being on a boat on the rocking ocean, and he kept on screaming "YOU!" while pointing at his father. "You took us all out on this boat so that we could all drown!" A few minutes later, John reeled in the largest sea bass any of the boys had seen in their lives. John stopped complaining immediately after that, and he never mentioned the drowning nonsense again. It was a very memorable trip, according to Albert.
Family vacation/outing in the 1970s
During his entrepreneurial years, Albert applied for several patents for his new water-based paint inventions. One of his most notable patents was a polymer application for water-based paint in an aerosol spray can. This invention is still being used worldwide! (Although the company he worked for at the time likely benefitted the most from it). Following several job changes, Albert finally decided to start his own business, known as Ridgetop Chemicals.
Throughout his career, Albert always focused on continuing his education. This continued education included French immersion classes, Advanced Organic Chemistry at the University of Toronto, a Business Administration course at the University of Western Ontario, and a Financial Management course at Ryerson University. The list continues with a Canadian Securities course, which allowed Albert to legally deal and trade on the stock market. He also took a Real Estate course "just for the fun of it". According to Albert, "The more you know, you realize that you know very little. People who know very little will tell you that they know everything."
Eight years after starting his own business, Albert sold Ridgetop Chemicals for a nice sum of money, returning a healthy profit. Looking back on his successful career, Albert said that he had no idea why he chose to go into chemistry. If he could turn back and re-pick a career, he would have hands-down chosen to be a lawyer. He often joked about that!
Going into retirement, Albert said that the most important lesson he learned over the years was to be content with everything while being kind to others.
Since he sold his company, Albert and Lynn were able to take many month-long vacations to exotic destinations. This included a cruise from Hong Kong to Australia, stopping in the Philippines, Indonesia, and a handful of other countries. Other trips included Mexico, Aruba, Cuba, all over Europe, Israel, and Egypt, just to name a few.
Tragically, Albert's father died on Friday, September 21, 1984, and his mother passed away four years later on November 6, 1988, just six weeks before the birth of their first great-grandchild. Albert and Lynn's first grandchild was born on December 21, 1988, to Richard and Emily Kooistra of Richmond Hill, Ontario. She was named Caitlyn Marie Kooistra, chosen by her father as a combination of her grandmothers' names: Clara and Lynn. Several years later, Albert was able to boast about his many grandchildren -- 15 in total -- and two great-grandchildren. The family was also made larger by the welcoming of the four Neutel cousins into the family following the death of their parents in the 1986. The Neutel children, Denise, Julie, Ryan and Amy, continued to participate in the family life throughout the years.
50th Wedding Anniversary ~ September 2014
Photo credit goes to Tony Hall
Photo credit goes to Tony Hall
At the time of this writing (2004), Albert enjoyed offering pastoral care at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. He had also spent time throughout his life serving as an Elder and Council member in the Christian Reformed Church. He also served on several boards, including one for Ecumenical Housing in Richmond Hill. He had the ability to make a positive impact on others' lives and was always able to lend a listening ear. He became a part of the lives of everyone around him.
Throughout the 90s, 00's, and into his final years, Albert "worked" for his sons by assisting with laboratory work that needed to be done. (His sons all own their own businesses.) In a joking manner, Albert said, "I get paid by the week, but very weakly." His favourite hobbies were reading historical books (or a book of any kind), taking his wife on trips all around the world, and learning new things every day. All of the hardships and good times that he went through during his lifetime shaped him into the unique, wise person we all knew.
After taking a closer look at his life, it is undoubtedly easy to see that Albert Suk led a fulfilling, God-centred life and is a prime example of a life well lived. His favourite saying was this: "Make today your day... because the past is gone and the future is not in our hands."
* * * * *
Sep 10, 2016
In Memory of Albert Suk
My grandfather, Albert Suk, passed away in the early hours of August 31, surrounding by loving family and friends. Along with my immediate family, I was able to make it to the hospital in time to spend time with him before he passed. We sang hymns, read Bible verses, and shared our favourite memories. And let me tell you... what a beautiful sight to see: a family of 20-30 gathered in the ICU singing hymns around my grandpa's bedside. I am so thankful for my family and how God provided a sense of peace in the midst of watching the head of our family in his last hours.
The ICU staff at Royal Vic in Barrie were incredible. They provided us space to gather in an extra room despite the 'rules' of only being allowed three visitors per patient. They displayed an incredible amount of patience and hospitality to us during those difficult 30 hours. The staff at Jennett Funeral Homes in Barrie were also very nice to deal with- the memorial service was seamless, and the IT setup and the nice cafe area upstairs were added bonuses.
To my family: I think we all grew closer during this time. It was a very sad week, but I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. God has blessed us with the gift of community, and I hope we can continue to move forward and continue to spend quality time together.
Please keep my grandmother and my extended family in your prayers during this time.
He is remembered well by his dear wife Lynn and caring children:
The ICU staff at Royal Vic in Barrie were incredible. They provided us space to gather in an extra room despite the 'rules' of only being allowed three visitors per patient. They displayed an incredible amount of patience and hospitality to us during those difficult 30 hours. The staff at Jennett Funeral Homes in Barrie were also very nice to deal with- the memorial service was seamless, and the IT setup and the nice cafe area upstairs were added bonuses.
To my family: I think we all grew closer during this time. It was a very sad week, but I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. God has blessed us with the gift of community, and I hope we can continue to move forward and continue to spend quality time together.
Please keep my grandmother and my extended family in your prayers during this time.
Albert Suk
September 8 1935 – August 31 2016
Born in the Netherlands, in a town called Sappemeer, Albert was the 3rd child of John and Diane Suk.
The Suks arrived in Canada during 1954. Albert graduated as a chemist from McMaster University, Hamilton, ON during 1964 and married his sweetheart Lynn Drenth. They had 5 children in the first 6 years of marriage. Albert had a great career as a research chemist and a technical director for a number of well-known companies, but eventually had his own, known as Ridgetop Chemicals. Albert was predeceased by his parents John and Diane Suk, by sisters Gerda and Jane, by brother Bill and brother-in-law George Neutel.
He is remembered well by his dear wife Lynn and caring children:
Emily and Richard; Jim and Deb; Allen and Rachel; Wayne and Kelly; John and Charlene.
As well as 15 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, and his brothers Ralph, and John and Susan, sisters-in-law Jane Suk, Jenny Suk and Alice Langedoen, brother-in-law Martin Drenth and Nancy.
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