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Married for 73 years, couple pass away 18 hours apart

After 73 years together, a Muskoka couple passed away just 18 hours from one another.

Sylvia van der Jagt passed away on March 14 at the age of 92 at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital with her family at her side. She was followed by her husband John “Jack” van der Jagt the following day at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital at the age of 95. As the obituary reads, “Jack is ascending into heaven to continue the love affair.”

Their grandson Daevyd Pepper described the couple as “entrepreneurs, community builders, and loving grandparents and parents.”

“They were generous, accepting, and always kept busy,” said Pepper via social media. “Wherever they landed, they started a bridge club or some way of bringing people together. They loved caring for people and creating spaces for people to connect.”

Pepper said their relationship ended as beautifully as one would’ve expected of a couple who spent almost three-quarters of a century together.

“After my Granny passed on peacefully, Grampa said, “‘Goodnight, Gran; I’ll see you in the morning,’ says Pepper. “He stayed true to his word.”

According to the obituary, Jack was the family patriarch and a fierce protector of everyone he loved, right to his last breath.  He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to sons three sons and a daughter. The couple also left behind many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A joint memorial service was held this past weekend.

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One Comment

  1. Diana Riggs says:

    My aunt and uncle but also my second parents who helped finish raising my mom and took us under their wing when our mom passed at a young age. Big hole left in so many lives but so many great memories
    I’m sure they have started a bridge game already and socializing with all the family in heaven
    Love Diana and family