Sam Peter van der Kloet

VAN DER KLOET, Sam Peter - of Wolfville, Kings County, died suddenly on the evening of January 21, 2011 in Wolfville. He was born in Hiedenskip, Friesland (Netherlands) to Pieter and Hendrika (Algera) van der Kloet (both deceased). The family immigrated to Canada in 1947, and later bought a farm near Petrolia, Ontario. He received a BA in Classics and a PhD in Botany from Queen's University. Queen's campus was also where he met his future wife, Carol. They married and moved to Wolfville in 1972, where Sam set to work as a researcher, professor, and curator of the EC Smith Herbarium at Acadia University. He taught at Acadia for 29 years, and upon retirement from teaching, was named University Botanist, helping to establish the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society, a well respected expert on blueberries, and served on the Town of Wolfville Parks & Recreation Committee for a number of years. Aside from his contributions to academia and Vaccinium, he was known about town as the man on the bicycle. He was a seasoned traveller, voracious reader – especially of the daily Globe and Mail, a lover of fine food, and Mozart. He died while out for his nightly walk – he said that walking was when he did his best thinking, and truly, he did a great deal of both. His was a life well lived, forever remembered and missed by his wife Carol (Rae), daughter Julie, son Peter, brothers Albert (Sarnia, Ont) and John (on the family farm), sisters Anne Eidt (Walkerton, Ont) and Teresa VanBruggen (Waterford, Ont), colleagues, students, and all who knew him. Cremation has taken place under the direction of the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville, and there will be no visitation by family request. A memorial service and reception will be held at the Acadia University Chapel at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, January 27, 2011, Reverend Virginia Cookman and Reverend Doctor Roger Prentice officiating. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens (details are pending). Donations can be made to the Sam VanderKloet Memorial Fund at Acadia University. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. On-line inquiries and messages of condolence may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.