Obituary of Jacobus "Jack" Verheyden

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Jack Verheyden. He passed away peacefully on Monday, February 27^th after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.  

Jacobus Hubertus Gerardus Verheyden was born in the Netherlands Thursday, October 23, 1952 to Andrew and Dora Verheyden (both deceased), before immigrating to Canada in 1954. Jack was blessed with a large and loving family. He will be sorely missed by his siblings Helen Taschereau (Rob), Mary Thorpe (Gordon), Gilbert (Sylvie), Joanne Rousson (Kim), Peter (Patti) and Nancy (deceased). Jack will be deeply missed by his many nieces and nephews. 

The highlight of Jack’s life was his family. He was a loving and devoted father to Ian (Jasmine) and Kathryn Mackie (Faber), whom he shared with their mother and former wife Shirley Brophy. Jack was a much loved “Opa” to his five precious grandchildren Olivia, Evelyne, Matthew, Phillippe and sweet Baby Laurence (deceased). Opa gave a special gift of music to each of his grandchildren, and they will always cherish the time spent with him playing his beloved fiddle. We will all miss him beyond what words can express. 

Jack will be remembered by his colleagues as a well-respected member of the Commercial Construction community where he managed so many high-profile projects throughout the Ottawa Carleton region. His last position held as Vice President of Govan Brown Inc. led to his retirement in 2012. Jack spent the next 10 years enjoying what he loved to do most, which was sailing throughout the Caribbean with his long-time partner and first mate Donna Sarazin(deceased) on his beloved Corbin 39 “Kathrian”, while teaching himself to play the violin. Jack made many special friends along the way, in particular on the island of Grenada where he called home base for the winter months. He was always thrilled to meet up for a great jam session on the beach with anyone who shared a passion for making music. 

Jack was a member of the Nepean Sailing Club for many years and will be fondly remembered by long-time friends as a fun-loving, friendly, and kind-hearted soul who would always lend a helping hand and took much pride in a job meticulously done. 

A special thanks to Dr. Shamim Taherzadeh for his tireless efforts to keep Jack informed and comfortable, particularly in the last months of his life. Our father thought of you as a true friend as well as his trusted Doctor. Thank you to all the staff at the Ottawa Hospital who took special care to see to it that our father was well looked-after. And to all the staff at the Ruddy Shenkman Hospice, thank you. You made Dad feel safe and well cared-for in his last week of life. Finally, to those special people who came to care for Dad in his home over the last year, thank you so much. You know who you are.  

Jack requested that there be no funeral service, but friends may visit the funeral home website at colefuneralservices.com to offer condolences. Donations to Pancreatic Cancer Canada or Ruddy Shenkman Hospice would be greatly appreciated. A celebration of Jack’s life will take place in the spring.