Rudolf Jansen Memorial Fund
Donation protected
To meet Rudie Jansen, was to love Rudie Jansen. He lived his life full force. He had an incredible presence and heart for others, making strangers feel at home, and always leaving a lasting impression. With his heart on his sleeve, a story to tell and his outgoing, loud character, Rudie was impossible to forget. Life with Rudie was never boring, but always with a touch of the unexpected. Rudie was a fighter, a true warrior, he wasn’t afraid of pain, he embraced it. He has endured more pain than most of us could ever imagine. But through all of this, Rudie showed no weakness, no wavering, no self-pity. He only exuded strength, courage, endurance, perseverance, determination, selflessness, patience, longsuffering, kindness, thoughtfulness, warmth, joy, and an endless flowing capacity to love.
For those lucky enough to know him, they know that Rudie was a jack of all trades. He was a farmer, construction worker, personal trainer, plumber, national-level lifeguard, insurance broker, and a business entrepreneur. He was a big dreamer. He spoke many languages and had a gift of creativity. Rudie had a deep love for music, especially worship. He spent hours singing Hillsong music from his reclining chair, they became a refuge for him in his times of struggle. He was unapologetic, he had strong convictions and didn’t waver in truth no matter who or what came against him. His priorities were his family, friends and his two girls. He was such a large presence both in his character and stature. Life with Rudie was an adventure, everywhere he went he had the ability to draw people in like a magnet. People were mesmerized by this gentle giant, his beautiful smile, his amazing sense of humour, the size of his heart and the size of his arms, his intelligence, everflowing knowledge, and his endless ability to make you smile. As passionate as he was, he was, even more, a fighter. He fought against meningitis, walking pneumonia, hernia surgeries, nerve damage, two herniated disks, one bulging disk, cancer, open-heart surgery, broken leg with two knee surgeries, parathyroid disease, pinched femoral nerve, bleeding stomach ulcer, three blood transfusions, dialysis for three years, and an endless amount of MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, scopes, and the infinite number of pricking needles. Rudie refused to give in and no matter what came his way, he lived on his own terms and chose to blindly trust God.
His proudest achievement will forever be his family. Side by side with his wife of 27 years, Cynthia, his daughter Debora, and his parents Alie and Theo, the Jansen’s have built a life to be proud of with only one regret....that it wasn’t long enough. He also leaves behind his sister Monique, and family in Holland. In addition to his family, he has left behind an abundance of remarkable friends, but is now reunited with his little sister and opa and oma.
Although his family is heartbroken, they cannot deny the deepest gratitude to God for His grace and mercy, the honour and privilege to have experienced him, to be inspired by this man every day, and to have a front-row seat to his victory.
For those left behind, they are going to honour his legacy and walk out each day with the strength and courage Rudie conveyed, to fulfill God’s plan for them. With every fishing trip, bag of dutch licorice, workout in the gym; Rudie will be in their hearts. Rudie’s life should always be a reminder to love hard, trust God, be kind, show compassion, and to never, ever give up.
Most importantly, Rudie loved God. He had a simple child-like faith, and he believed God would do big things. Rudie has always been curious about Heaven, he longed to be healed and whole.
At the age of 54, Rudie’s remarkable life came to an end after a gruelling 19-hour open-heart surgery. It wasn’t his wish to leave his family, his girls, he protected them right until the very end, but God wanted to end his suffering and welcome His son home.
Rudie would want all who love him to know he got his wish, to be completely healed, without pain and suffering, his battles are over and his victory is won. He gets to now feel the strength and energy again of a healthy strong body, filled with joy, able to run and fish to his heart’s content. He now walks with Christ and finally knows he is loved beyond human comprehension and all his questions are answered. He’d give that big smile of his, with a twinkle in his eyes, and say, “Now I’m living!”
For those lucky enough to know him, they know that Rudie was a jack of all trades. He was a farmer, construction worker, personal trainer, plumber, national-level lifeguard, insurance broker, and a business entrepreneur. He was a big dreamer. He spoke many languages and had a gift of creativity. Rudie had a deep love for music, especially worship. He spent hours singing Hillsong music from his reclining chair, they became a refuge for him in his times of struggle. He was unapologetic, he had strong convictions and didn’t waver in truth no matter who or what came against him. His priorities were his family, friends and his two girls. He was such a large presence both in his character and stature. Life with Rudie was an adventure, everywhere he went he had the ability to draw people in like a magnet. People were mesmerized by this gentle giant, his beautiful smile, his amazing sense of humour, the size of his heart and the size of his arms, his intelligence, everflowing knowledge, and his endless ability to make you smile. As passionate as he was, he was, even more, a fighter. He fought against meningitis, walking pneumonia, hernia surgeries, nerve damage, two herniated disks, one bulging disk, cancer, open-heart surgery, broken leg with two knee surgeries, parathyroid disease, pinched femoral nerve, bleeding stomach ulcer, three blood transfusions, dialysis for three years, and an endless amount of MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, scopes, and the infinite number of pricking needles. Rudie refused to give in and no matter what came his way, he lived on his own terms and chose to blindly trust God.
His proudest achievement will forever be his family. Side by side with his wife of 27 years, Cynthia, his daughter Debora, and his parents Alie and Theo, the Jansen’s have built a life to be proud of with only one regret....that it wasn’t long enough. He also leaves behind his sister Monique, and family in Holland. In addition to his family, he has left behind an abundance of remarkable friends, but is now reunited with his little sister and opa and oma.
Although his family is heartbroken, they cannot deny the deepest gratitude to God for His grace and mercy, the honour and privilege to have experienced him, to be inspired by this man every day, and to have a front-row seat to his victory.
For those left behind, they are going to honour his legacy and walk out each day with the strength and courage Rudie conveyed, to fulfill God’s plan for them. With every fishing trip, bag of dutch licorice, workout in the gym; Rudie will be in their hearts. Rudie’s life should always be a reminder to love hard, trust God, be kind, show compassion, and to never, ever give up.
Most importantly, Rudie loved God. He had a simple child-like faith, and he believed God would do big things. Rudie has always been curious about Heaven, he longed to be healed and whole.
At the age of 54, Rudie’s remarkable life came to an end after a gruelling 19-hour open-heart surgery. It wasn’t his wish to leave his family, his girls, he protected them right until the very end, but God wanted to end his suffering and welcome His son home.
Rudie would want all who love him to know he got his wish, to be completely healed, without pain and suffering, his battles are over and his victory is won. He gets to now feel the strength and energy again of a healthy strong body, filled with joy, able to run and fish to his heart’s content. He now walks with Christ and finally knows he is loved beyond human comprehension and all his questions are answered. He’d give that big smile of his, with a twinkle in his eyes, and say, “Now I’m living!”
Organizer
Cynthia Jansen
Organizer
Kitchener, ON
