Obituary for Astrid Andersen (Christoffersen)
Obituary for ASTRID ANDERSEN
(Sept. 1, 1936 – Feb. 17, 2021)
On February 17, long time Squamish resident Astrid Andersen (nee Christoffersen) passed away peacefully and surrounded by family, after a short illness, in her 85th year.
Astrid was born in rural Denmark in 1936. She was predeceased by her husband Roy (Rolf Olaf) in 1979.
Astrid and Roy both came to Canada in the 1950s, each for adventure and opportunity. After work stints in Sweden, Switzerland and in London, England where she learned English going to the cinema, Astrid emigrated to Canada in 1957. She arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax NS with a letter of employment from an Alberta family in need of a nanny, “preferably a Danish girl.”
Astrid and Roy, who had met on the MS Bergensfjord Atlantic passenger liner, started a family in Hinton AB before moving to Squamish in 1961. The rebuilt Woodfibre pulp mill had a job for skilled tradesman Roy, and Squamish had a longer growing season for avid gardener Astrid.
They built their home on Hospital Hill, with Astrid in charge of what was to be judged Best Garden in Squamish by 1969. Over the next decades, in between tending family (as a single parent after her husband’s passing) and garden, and later employment at the local hospital, community-minded Astrid wrote many letters to the editor and attended and spoke at many public meetings.
She actively supported each of her three free spirit sons in numerous, diverse projects.
Astrid loved picnics and camping and, in later years, independent backpack travel off the beaten path – in Latin America, Yukon, Quebec, Southern Europe, SE Asia and Australia. She (proudly) never learned to use a computer, clipped and saved many articles out of the newspapers, and read many books – mostly about the history of her adopted country.
Astrid always looked forward to weekly international folk dance nights, Tuesday hiking group excursions, helping out with Hospital Auxiliary friends, and volunteering for Community Christmas Care and at the annual Loggers Sports days.
Her always good mood, happy laughter and great hospitality will be missed.
She is survived by sons Eric, Glen (Marina) and Thor (Bec), her precious granddaughter Eve-Ruby, and a large extended family in Denmark and Norway.
Due to Covid-19 a celebration of Astrid Andersen’s life will be postponed to a later date.
The family is sincerely thankful to caregivers at Lions Gate Hospital and North Shore Hospice for their kindness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Squamish General Hospital Auxiliary squamishgeneralhospitalauxiliary.com or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
(Sept. 1, 1936 – Feb. 17, 2021)
On February 17, long time Squamish resident Astrid Andersen (nee Christoffersen) passed away peacefully and surrounded by family, after a short illness, in her 85th year.
Astrid was born in rural Denmark in 1936. She was predeceased by her husband Roy (Rolf Olaf) in 1979.
Astrid and Roy both came to Canada in the 1950s, each for adventure and opportunity. After work stints in Sweden, Switzerland and in London, England where she learned English going to the cinema, Astrid emigrated to Canada in 1957. She arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax NS with a letter of employment from an Alberta family in need of a nanny, “preferably a Danish girl.”
Astrid and Roy, who had met on the MS Bergensfjord Atlantic passenger liner, started a family in Hinton AB before moving to Squamish in 1961. The rebuilt Woodfibre pulp mill had a job for skilled tradesman Roy, and Squamish had a longer growing season for avid gardener Astrid.
They built their home on Hospital Hill, with Astrid in charge of what was to be judged Best Garden in Squamish by 1969. Over the next decades, in between tending family (as a single parent after her husband’s passing) and garden, and later employment at the local hospital, community-minded Astrid wrote many letters to the editor and attended and spoke at many public meetings.
She actively supported each of her three free spirit sons in numerous, diverse projects.
Astrid loved picnics and camping and, in later years, independent backpack travel off the beaten path – in Latin America, Yukon, Quebec, Southern Europe, SE Asia and Australia. She (proudly) never learned to use a computer, clipped and saved many articles out of the newspapers, and read many books – mostly about the history of her adopted country.
Astrid always looked forward to weekly international folk dance nights, Tuesday hiking group excursions, helping out with Hospital Auxiliary friends, and volunteering for Community Christmas Care and at the annual Loggers Sports days.
Her always good mood, happy laughter and great hospitality will be missed.
She is survived by sons Eric, Glen (Marina) and Thor (Bec), her precious granddaughter Eve-Ruby, and a large extended family in Denmark and Norway.
Due to Covid-19 a celebration of Astrid Andersen’s life will be postponed to a later date.
The family is sincerely thankful to caregivers at Lions Gate Hospital and North Shore Hospice for their kindness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Squamish General Hospital Auxiliary squamishgeneralhospitalauxiliary.com or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.