Obituaries

VAGN RASMUSSEN

March 8, 1926 – October 30, 2024

Vagn passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospice in Sarnia on October 30, 2024, at the age of 98.

He was the loving husband of the late Anna Mortensen (2017) of Sundridge, ON, the loving father of:

Tom Rasmussen (Judy) of Binbrook, ON, Mary Rastall (the late Stephen) of Camlachie, ON, the late Nelly Rasmussen (1977),

Sally McMahon of Sundridge, ON, John Rasmussen (Patricia) of Kanata, ON, Janet Adams (Michael) of Ottawa, ON, the loving grandfather of:

Amanda Rasmussen (Andreas) of Hamilton, ON, Victoria Rastall, Jennifer Rastall of London, ON, Stephanie Rastall of Ottawa, ON, Paul McMahon (Tanya) of North Bay, ON,

Zachary and Alexander Rasmussen of Kanata, ON, Matthaeus Adams of Ottawa, ON, the loving great-grandfather of: Audriana and Ayla Allen of North Bay, ON.

He is predeceased by his parents and six of his seven siblings. Vagn grew upon a prosperous farm in Pederstrup, Denmark, with his parents and seven siblings; there, he learned the importance of hard work, which was to remain a guiding principle throughout his life. In 1947, he left home with his two older brothers for adventures, undertaking farming and logging work first in Sweden and, later, in western Canada. While in Canada, he and his brothers bought a fancy new Pontiac and returned to Denmark with it in 1951. There, it created a stir, since not even the king had a car that was quite as nice. Vagn remained enthralled with vehicles and machinery all his life.

In 1952, he emigrated to British Columbia, Canada, with his wife Anna, whom he had married in Denmark earlier that year. In B.C. they owned and operated a sawmill in the bush and started their family. It was here that he and his wife became Christians.

In 1963, he moved his family to Ontario, first to the Hamilton area and finally, in 1976, to Sundridge. In Ontario, he worked as a carpenter and a skilled tradesman, doing numerous jobs that enabled him to use the many skills he had learned over the years.

In Sundridge, he ended up happily self-employed, doing a wide variety of jobs throughout the area. These included building renovations large and small, constructing outbuildings, felling trees, making lumber with his sawmill, selling firewood, and snow clearing. He worked well into his nineties and was a respected member of his community. He was always active and loved a good challenge. His life was full of them. He will be missed by his family and friends, as well as the numerous people he worked for and helped.

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