LUKE ROMBOUT

LUKE ROMBOUT, C.M., FRSA 1933-2000 Luke Rombout died peacefully on July 31, 2000 surrounded by his family at his Frelighsburg home in Québec's Eastern Townships. Luke Rombout was born in Amsterdam in 1933 and emigrated to Canada in 1954, where he felt at home due to his longstanding appreciation of the Canadians who had fought valiantly to liberate Holland in 1945. He pursued life intensely, with intelligence, determination, creativity and wit. He enjoyed major challenges, from the training for his first marathon (in which he clocked a debut time of 3:18 at the age of 50) to the building of major museums such as the Vancouver Art Gallery and the McCord Museum in Montréal. His last portfolio was the resuscitation, direction and relocation of the Canada Council Art Bank. His dedication to the visual arts and to museology in Canada earned him the recognition as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1986 and the Excellence Prize by ICOM Canada (International Council of Museums) in 1999. He also contributed to the development of the visual arts in Canada through his activities as a a teacher and administrator at Mount Allison University, York University and George Brown College, and the numerous prestigious exhibition projects produced by his consulting practice Modus Vivendi. Despite his endurance training, he could not outrun the pace of the adversary whose face he never saw, cancer. He leaves in grief his wife and friend, Francine Du Bois, his daughters Melissa (husband Blair Cockburn) and Tanya Aleida, his granddaughter Charlotte Loulou, and his step-sons Mathieu and Laurent-Xavier Gilbert. Joining them in great sorrow are his sister, Willy Rombout of Arnhem, the Netherlands, and his brother and sister-in-law Ted and Tineke Rombout of Sydney, Australia. His absence is also deeply felt by his mother-in-law, Yvette Du Bois (widow of Gérard Du Bois), sisters-in-law Monique Roy, Louise Duchesne (widow of Pierre Duchesne) and Nicole Lien, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, friends and colleagues. Above all, the friendship of Jean Saint-Cyr of Montréal was especially dear to him. The family wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation for the exceptional care given by his doctors Hélène Laperrière, Marc Trudeau, Peter Koopmann, Neil MacDonald and his family doctor Bernard Raymond, as well as the excellent staff of the Clinique d'oncologie de l'Hôpital Royal Victoria and of the Clinique d'oncologie de l'Hôpital Brome-MissisquoiPerkins of Cowansville. He was grateful to have remained at home thanks to the care provided by the C.L.S.C. La Pommeraie, Sylvie Tremblay of Diapason and volunteer caregivers of Frelighsburg. According to his wishes, Luke Rombout was cremated and his ashes will be buried in a private ceremony attended by family and close friends. In lieu of flowers, if desired, donations may be made to a charity dear to him, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, 250 Bloor Street, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3P9....condolences may be sent to the attention of Francine Du Bois, P.O. Box 315, Dunham, Québec, J0E 1M0.