Tribute

BRAAK – John Henry (Johannes Hendrickus Joseph). John passed away peacefully on January 9, 2020 in Willingdon Creek Village, Powell River BC.  Predeceased by his parents, his sister Annie Kruders and his brother Henry Braak.  Survived by his wife Geraldine and children Diana Movold (husband Craig) and daughter Rozanna Sulyma of Ladner, BC, and son Steven Braak, of Mission, BC, his sister Minnie Wendels of Powell River, BC, sister-in-law Willie Braak of Salt Spring Island, BC, brother-in-law Bill van den Heuvel of Halifax, NS, and cousins and many nieces and nephews in Canada and the Netherlands.   John was born on March 27, 1931 in Almalo, the Netherlands.  He completed his carpenter’s apprenticeship in Almalo, and then served 2 years in the Royal Dutch Marine Corps, in Den Helder, Northern Holland.  John immigrated to Canada in 1954, leaving behind his parents and siblings.  Landing in Halifax, NS, he traveled to Saskatoon, Sask then onto Kitimat, BC in 1956 to find work, and marry Geraldine.  They continued on to Vancouver, BC for work, and then finally in 1960 reconnecting with his brother Henry and sister Minnie in Powell River.  John joined the International Carpenters Union, Powell River’s Local 2068 branch, he was a very dedicated union man, serving as financial secretary for Local 2068 for many years, encouraging fellow union members to standup for their rights – there was never a strike he didn’t support.  John was a carpenter for over 40 years in Powell River, earlier years he built and remodeled private homes, working for the Tla’amin Nation (formerly known as the Sliammon First Nation) in Sliammon and traveling to Squirrel Cove, Cortez and other areas along the coast building homes for the First Nations Peoples, and making great friends with Chief Joe Mitchel and his family, and Chief Dan George.  Over the years the job sites and construction companies varied, rebuilding Safeway after the devasting fire, building the then new Recreation Complex, there were many jobs at MacMillian Bloedel’s paper mill and then the tear-down at Weyerhaeuser (formerly MacBlo), and rebuilding the sundeck at the Olive Devaud Residence, where he eventually lived for a year before going to Willingdon Creek Village as one of the first residents.  John was a hunter and loved to fish, he went deer hunting with his buddies, the antlers still hang in his shop to this day.  In the earlier years, his leisure time was spent with his family and beloved dog Snoopy, fishing at Haslam Lake, Duck Lake, or Powell Lake or on the ocean making trips to go gooey duck hunting on Savary Island.   Later he was a dedicated advocate for the disabled assisting his wife Geraldine with her disability and her passion of enriching the disabled in Powell River and all over the world.  Their trips took them as far away as Australia, Egypt, Hong Kong, New York, and many other places.  Thank you to everyone at Willingdon Creek Village for taking care of John over the years he was a resident, your caring and kindness made John happy and comfortable, you were all very dear to him.  Dear John: Husband, Brother, Dad, Uncle, Opa, Friend, you will be dearly missed, we love you always.