JOHN MARTIN OOSTROM

1930 - 2023

OOSTROM, JOHN MARTIN September 2, 1930 - March 4, 2023 It is with sadness that the family of John Martin Oostrom announces his passing on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 92 with his wife, Sigrid (Sigi), at his side. John was born in Werkhoven, Netherlands, on September 2, 1930, son of the late Cornelis and Hendrika (de Bouter) Oostrom. Predeceased by his first wife, Benjamine (Aubert); daughter, Nathalie; and his siblings, Martin, Adrian, Clara, Henry, Jake, Annie and Tony. John is survived by his wife, Sigi; and his daughters, Johanne (Percy) Cloarec, Caroline (Colin) Best and Lindsey (Rick) Moulton. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Teralyn, Kristopher, Serena, Zack, Jonathan, Aliza, Kory, Sydney, Grant and Jack; his siblings, Marie, Rika, Cory, Wim and Karel; his great-grandchildren, Karrsen, Rhiannon and Blaire; and his numerous nieces and nephews. In his early years, John worked for the Netherlands Railway and was a member of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, where he attended pilot training. He immigrated to Canada with his parents and twelve younger siblings in 1952. The family settled near Merrickville, ON, to start a new and exciting chapter in their lives. He received his BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto in 1956 while working for CN Rail and the Toronto Transit Commission. He later worked for the Ontario Treasury Board as an Economist. He married his first wife, Benjamine, in 1955. John spent much of his career as an executive with Philips, working in Ireland, Turkey, Ecuador and Canada. John was multilingual and he especially loved politics. He was always involved in the community, including being a member of the Board of Directors of the DUCA Financial Services Credit Union, the Knights of Columbus and various other committees. He married Sigi in 1987, and she was instrumental in helping him achieve his dream of running for elected office. He ran for the Progressive Conservative Party and was successfully elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Willowdale, serving from 1984 to 1988. John was the first Dutch-born Canadian elected to the House of Commons. After his political career, John operated his own immigration consultancy and spent time travelling with Sigi. John and Sigi were constant companions, living together at the Elginwood Long Term Care nursing home for the past four years; Sigi will miss him greatly. The family wishes to thank Dr. Weinstein and the staff at Elginwood for their kindness. Friends and family are invited to visit at the Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home, 211 Langstaff Rd. E., Thornhill, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., with a Catholic Mass of Christian Burial and reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Parkinson Canada.