Obituary of Trudy Lusink

TRUDY LUSINK

(nee Boon)

Trudy was born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on December 28, 1951 and passed away on September 6, 2022, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.  She was predeceased by her loving parents, Antonie and Evertje, and her younger sister, Sylvia.

Hers was a life well lived by a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished and gutsy woman who passed away long before she ought to have.  Trudy grew up, schooled and worked in Eindhoven where she also met her husband, Johannes (Jan) Lusink.  They married in 1981 and had 19 wonderful years together until Jan’s passing in 2000.  She was a loving and supportive wife and stepmother to Jan’s two sons, John and Rob.  With Jan she enjoyed a full and happy life.  She was a people person with a radiant personality – a list of her attributes would occupy many pages.  She was a huge support to Jan’s professional life, and after his retirement they travelled extensively around the globe.  Theirs was a loving and close union, and when Jan unexpectedly and sadly passed away, Trudy was heartbroken.

After Jan’s untimely death, Trudy met Tony Marsh and spent 21 precious years together.  Their connection was established based on mutual values and, maybe, curiosity.  A close bond, an understanding and then an abiding love formed between two people who, from all outward appearances, were complete opposites. The adventures continued with travels far afield, stretching from Norway’s North Cape to Hobart, Tasmania, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and snorkeling off a coral atoll near Belize – with many adventures in Southern Africa and other destinations such as Scotland, England, Hungary and Russia, in between. 

Trudy touched the lives of many people.  She was highly intelligent and a voracious reader.  In her years with Jan, she attained her MA (Medieval Studies) from the University of Toronto.  She had a huge variety of interests and brought her incisive intellect and energy to many fronts – whether involved on committees at the Granite Club, as a President of the Toronto International Women’s Organization and as a board member in her condo building in North Toronto.  She loved to entertain, and her dinner parties were legendary.  She also loved music and was a fabulous dancer.

In Holland, Trudy leaves behind her older sister, Miny, her niece, Aniet (Rinus, Bob and Louisa), niece Yvonne (Michel, Joep and Daan) and nephew, Marcel (Marjan, Maarten and Sander). Although separated by distance, their love for each other was fierce.  They will mourn her dearly, as will her stepsons, Rob (Michelle) and John (Pat and children Karina, Sarah, Erik and Colin, who will miss their beautiful “Omi”).  Her love and devotion to them was immeasurable.

Her passing leaves a huge gap in the life of her partner and loving companion, Tony, his daughter, Kim (Matt, Isabel, Emily and James), all of whom have a special place in their hearts for this lovely lady, as do Matt’s family in Tasmania and Tony’s cousins in South Africa.

The world was a better place with Trudy in it as a host, as her Dutch/Canadian friends will attest to, as will so many Canadian and international friends who knew her and whose life she touched.  These friends loved Trudy and showed it over and again, and particularly in the recent two years of her illness.

Thanks are due to the palliative care team led by her physician, Dr. Kirshen, her nurse, Steve, and a sea of others in her medical journey.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care at Mount Sinai Hospital would be most appreciated.  Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.

Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.