ELEONORA JANSSON (VERBURG) -

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ELEONORA JANSSON (nee VERBURG) 1939 - 2008 Suddenly on January 7, 2008, Eleonora ( Leonoor ) Jansson passed away at her winter residence in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Lars, daughter Tanya Jansson and partner Richard Sandhurst, and grandchildren, Cameron and Fiona; son Erik and Leslie Jansson, brother Kees and Brigit Verburg in the Netherlands, brother Jan Verburg in Germany, sister-in-law Maija Jansson and Paul Bushkovitch in Connecticut, brother-in-law Michael Jansson and Veronica Scott in British Columbia, brother-in-law Owen and Jane Jansson in Michigan and many nieces and nephews in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. Leonoor was born December 1, 1939 in Wageningen, the Netherlands and spent her early years there during the war period. She was educated to be a teacher at normal school, studied psychology at the University of Groningen, and later took graduate work at Temple University in Philadelphia and at the University of Manitoba. Lars met Leonoor in Germany, proposed to her in Austria, and they were married in Holland in 1961 before coming to the United States, and then immigrating to Canada in 1973. In Winnipeg Leonoor continued her teaching career in the Norwood and Morris-MacDonald School divisions where she taught special needs children and in the resource program. She retired from teaching in 1995 to join Lars in an around the world trip, spending time in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, where she worked with teachers from the townships around Cape Town. During her teaching career she was active in the Schoolmasters Wives Association and this continued into her retirement years. She and Lars traveled frequently in Europe visiting with family and in 2007 went on safari in Tanzania. When not traveling or spending time playing tennis and birding in Texas, Leonoor was a very active volunteer in leading school nature programs at Fort Whyte Alive in Winnipeg. She also enjoyed coordinating social events at her home in Vasa Lund Estates. A memorial service to celebrate Leonoor's life will take place at Charleswood United Church on Saturday, January 26 at 4:00 p.m. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Fort Whyte Alive, 1961 McCreary Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3P 2K9.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 18, 2008