Gerardus Johannes Ansems
1940-2020
April 4, 1940 – May 18, 2020
Sadly, Gerard Ansems, 80, of Lakewood Road, Steam Mill, NS, passed away at the QEII Hospital, Halifax, as a result of complications following a successful heart surgery. Gerard was born in Breda, Netherlands (Holland) and immigrated to Canada as a teenager with his parents, the late Chris Ansems and Johanna (Bastiaansen), and his 10 siblings to Parkhill, Ontario. He eventually settled in Nova Scotia to successfully farm for 54 years with his wife Toosey (deGraaf) and 4 children. Gerard had a passion to do his best in all aspects of life. He was a livestock grower for 20 years and for 30 years of growing tobacco, Gerard was a past chairman for the Flue Cured Tobacco Growers Association, and was a 3 time-grand champion in the tobacco competitions at the Atlantic Winter Fair Exhibitions in Halifax. 1993 started the Annual Family Pumpkin competitions, which sparked his passion to grow giant vegetables; especially pumpkins, squash, bushel gourds, long gourds, and watermelons. He was vice president for the AVGVG (Annapolis Valley Giant Vegetable Growers) and competed in the GPC (Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth), Glad Gardens in Waterville, Windsor-West Hants Pumpkin Weigh-Offs and the Hants County Exhibition. Gerard won numerous awards for giant pumpkins & veggies. His personal best pumpkin was 1727 lbs in 2012, where he placed 11th in the world, earning him a "1700’s Club" leather jacket from the GPC. In 2016, Gerard placed first in the world-record longest gourd, and in 2018, he grew the 2nd heaviest bushel gourd in the world. In 2019, at his final competition, the Windsor-West Hants Dill Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Gerard’s 1st place pumpkin weighed in at 1714 lbs (2nd personal best). Gerard’s gifted skill of growing giant vegetables was recognized in Las Vegas this spring when he earned the 2019 title of 3rd place as World GPC Master Gardner. Gerard's 2020 pumpkin has been planted and will be lovingly tended to by family this summer, waiting for competition this fall. Over the years Gerard enjoyed: stock car driving, annual camping trips with family, winter trips to various sunny locations, bowling, Ken-Wo golfing, playing cards, word scrabble and weekly dart games. He had several traveling vacations with the Port Williams group and took tremendous pride in his beautifully landscaped yard. Survived by wife Catharina (Toosey deGraaf); sons, Fred (Shirley), Daniel (Patti) and Randy (Angela); and daughter Marian (Ben LeMere); grandchildren: Marisa, Rebecca, Kevin, Megan, Ben, Joshua, Connor Gerard; brothers, Harry (Edith), Frank (Marilyn) and Casey (Audrey); sisters, Jacoba Geudens (Jos), Jeannie Merks (Peter Jackson) and Cory Coffin (Gary). Predeceased by brothers John, Ted, Antoon, and Cornelis (infant), sister Lucy Vander Vloet, and in-laws John Vander Vloet and Joe Merks. Special thanks to Drs. Robert Gunn, Daniel Woo, J.P. McCarthy, Edgar Chedrawy and to the QEII nurses and doctors in the surgical ward & ICU. Cremation has taken place. Celebration of Life gathering to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Valley Regional Hospital or QEII Hospital Foundation. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.