Van Severen, Esther Elizabeth (nee Thompson)
Van Severen, Esther Elizabeth (nee Thompson) passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at her home in Creemore at the age of 63. Beloved wife of Andre Van Severen. Loving mother of Monique, Edward (Tanya) and Matthew (Jenn). Cherished grandmother of Haleigh, Hannah, Emma, Nathan, Jonathon, William, Riley and Hunter. Dear sister of Bob (Wendy). Esther will be deeply missed by many nieces, nephews and extended family. In keeping with Esther’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A service to celebrate her life will be held on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at 4 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 397, 27 Wellington Street West, Creemore, Ontario. As an expression of sympathy memorial donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. Messages of condolence can be left at www.peacefultransition.ca.
Ed van Severen is the grandson of my aunt Helen who was Helena Sugarman of Whitechapel East London and from a large Jewish family. Esther was Ed’s mum and my much loved joyful, funny cousin. Helena married a Canadian soldier Ralph Thompson of Barrie and went with him as a war bride to Barrie in 1946, and as a lone Jewish person suffered a lot of anti-Semitism but managed it well and Ralph always stood by her.
Esther’s son Ed is a fighfighter hero who was involved in a rescue of a baby in recent years. He is in a long tradition of brave WW2 Jewish firefighters who served in the UK and are featured in my book – which Ed loves – ‘ Jews in the Fire Brigade in WW2’ published by Valentine Mitchell, London and Oregon, by Martin Sugarman , Archivist of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women of the UK – AJEX. Esther’s family in th UK miss her very much.
Esther was my joyful cousin. Her mother Helena Sugarman was my dad’s sister and a Jewish war bride and married Canadian soldier Ralph Thompsoon in Hackney in 1946 and came to Canada. As a lone Jewish woman from the East End she experienced much anti-Semitisn but managed it well with Ralph always standing by her. Esther has a heroic Canadian firefighter son, Ed van Severen, who in 2008 carried out the brave rescue of a baby from a drowning car. He is in the spirit of the brave Jewish Firefighters of WW2 who are the subject of my book, ‘Jews in the Fire Brigade in WW2’, a book Ed loves – as does his family
Martin Sugarman, London UK – Archivist of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women of the UK – AJEX – and former Gunner in the Israel Defence Forces 1976