Hendrik Johan LOMMEN

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, opa and oude opa. Harry was predeceased by his wife, Gertrud; brother, Wim; sisters, Netje, Mia, and Lieska; and  parents Hubert and Maria Lommen. He is survived by his youngest sister Leonie (Clive); two daughters, José (Robert) and Ria; grandchildren, Gina, Martin (Lilia), Casey (Sheldon), Margot ( Justin) and Ashton; great-grandchildren, Brysa, Tanesha, Braxton, Camden, Alexander, Mackenzie, Colton, and Aiden; as well as many nieces and nephews and friends who loved him. 

Harry was living his dream when he was accepted as an immigrant to Canada from the Netherlands.  In their part of the Netherlands, in the early fifties, there was not a lot of opportunity for employment - coal mining or coal mining. Dad had seen what the coal dust could do to people and wasn't having any of it. That was when he sprung it on my Mom that he wanted to immigrate to Canada, the land of opportunity. Canada treated him well! It was a bit of a struggle in the beginning till he got his footing. He had an opportunity to get into the electrical trade and soon decided to start his own company. Lommen Electric became a successful, well-known company in Port Alberni during the late 50s, '60s and early '70s. He was known as an honest, hard-working contractor, who gave you your money's worth!  The crowning achievement was a "Show Home" that he built for himself in Port Alberni featuring all of the electrical advancements of the day, holding an open house to share all of the innovations with the town. 

Upon his retirement they decided that they would spend the winter months in the sunny, warm south and the summer months in Canada. Included in their travels was a trip back to the old country every other year, or so, to see their family, with side trips to many other countries.

Dad was never one to sit idle. In California, if he wasn't fixing someone's toaster, TV,  air conditioner, you name it, he would be hiking, playing pool or shuffleboard.  Shuffleboard was quite a passion and he has the trophies to prove it.  Dancing was another passion and Mom and Dad did it well!  Dancing first brought them together and the Mobile Home Park dancing circuit gave them lots of opportunity to indulge in that passion.

When in Canada you'd find him on the backroads of Bralorne or Youbou looking for a creek that he could fish in, bringing back trout for Mom to cook.

Dad was a real gadget guy. He loved new technology, including being the first one in the family to have a computer, back in the '80s, and nagging us until we all had one. There was more than one of us that got one of his castoffs when he moved on to the next new and improved version. And even till the end you could reach him on Facebook, Messenger and Skype when he wasn't buying stuff on Amazon, Ebay or Wayfair.  
He had a real thing for remote controls too. He had remote controls for everything.  He just loved to push them buttons.   And if he wasn't pushing buttons he was getting Alexa to do it.

He always considered Port Alberni his hometown even though he moved around a bit but then came home for his last years.

I know looking back, he would be happy with his life and proud of what he accomplished, and now he and mom are together again dancing in heaven. 

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Dad's name.   In keeping with Dad's wishes there will be no formal service.