Notices are posted by 10 am Monday through Saturday
LEONARD ABRAHAM CORSTIAAN VAN ROON
Born: Dec 01, 1921
Date of Passing: Oct 26, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryLEONARD ABRAHAM CORSTIAAN VAN ROON
Len Van Roon passed peacefully at home on October 26, 2026.
Len was born in 1921, the only child of Adriaan and Cornelia, Dutch immigrants who moved to Charleswood Road in 1928 and started the family poultry farm.
Len landed in the first wave on D Day at Juno Beach. Len was conscripted and had to go to war, but he would say that now that they were there, "We had an important job to do and we just did the very best we could". Throughout his life it was important for Len to educate the next generations about the sacrifices that were made so they could enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that they have today. It would be a far different world without their brave efforts.
Len didn't think it would be fair to Verna to get married and go off to war, possibly never to return, so he wrote over 1100 letters to keep connected to her and the world back home, (almost one a day). When Len returned from the war, Len and Verna were married in September 1946 and raised four children on the family poultry farm at 1018 Charleswood Road.
Len and Verna made numerous presentations at local schools on the early history of Charleswood and on the importance of the Canadian contribution to victory in the Second World War. One very special project was erecting a monument at the corner of Berkley and Roblin to memorialize all the Charleswood and Headingley men who died in the two World Wars. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #100 in Charleswood has created a banner for each of the 20 memorialized on the monument and will display them along Roblin Blvd. between the monument and the Legion building before every Remembrance Day for the next decade! In 2024, the Charleswood Legion created a Tribute Wall "to honour Canadian Armed Forces veterans". Len obtained the first plaque on the Wall. In 2026, the Charleswood Legion Branch added a small tulip garden at the base of the Tribute Wall and dedicated it to Len. Tulips, the gift of Dutch relatives and of the Dutch Embassy in Ottawa, have been planted.
Len has received many awards and recognitions, but just to highlight a few of the most recent, on May 8, 2025, a celebration for veterans and their families was held in the Rotunda of the Manitoba Legislature and Len was honoured with a King Charles III silver coin, a medal from the office of Premier Wab Kinew and a Challenge coin. Then in November, Len was back in the Legislature and was one of the first three Manitobans ever to be invested into the Manitoba Circle of Honour, "in recognition of bravery, resilience and dedication that embody the spirit of service and unity". He was also awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. He was recognized and honoured at the recent Royal Canadian Legion Convention in Winnipeg commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization, attended by more than 1000 legion members. In 2022, Len received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, presented to Canadians to acknowledge significant contributions to community and country.
The Van Roons were central to the formation of the Charleswood Historical Society and the creation of the Charleswood Museum. Len identified the actual Old Pembina Red River Cart Trail that crossed the Assiniboine River and his property, resulting in creating THE PASSAGE Provincial Heritage site. Thousands of carts had crossed what would become his lawn under his now 200-year-old oak trees!
Len and Verna's efforts to preserve the natural habitat were honoured by the Friends of the Harte Trail, who named an area near the trail "Van Roon Prairie Garden". Their steadfast support of the Charleswood United Church and their extensive community involvement led to naming of the new hall the "Van Roon Community Hall" in 2012. Len's minister, Michael Wilson, comments that many people know of Len the War vet and Len the local historian, but many do not know Len the artist! He has finished more than 200 paintings, some of which are treasured possessions in the homes of his children, grandchildren and friends and which capture local history some now long gone, and the beauty of nature in the area. He has also created more than 200 life-sized stick figures called "gufflewarfs", witty and fun and uniquely beautiful.
Len is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren all of whom are very proud of his accomplishments and those he shared with his much-respected late wife, Verna.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Charleswood United Church Hamper Program (charleswoodunited.org/support), VETS Canada (vetscanada.org) and the Manitoba Choral Association (www.mbchoralassociation.ca).
A memorial service will be held on November 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Charleswood United Church, 4820 Roblin Blvd.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 31, 2026