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.
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