Rosalie van den Berg

Rosalie Frances van den Berg (nee Cornish, nee Sreedhar) passed away peacefully with her husband at her side, at St. Anne’s Care Home in Saskatoon on March 13, 2025. She was 85 years young. Rosalie was born on September 5, 1939, in Horrabridge, Devon, UK. She lived through the turbulence of WWII. Her father served with the Royal British Army in Burma and was one of the few men & fathers who returned home after the War. As a youngster, Rosalie was intelligent, playful and energetic, traits that continued into her adult life. After completing her Nursing training at Royal Cornwall Infirmary, she worked as a Registered Nurse in various UK hospitals, including the London Clinic. She met her future husband, Dr. M.R. Sreedhar and in 1961, they married and raised two children, David and Frances.

In 1971, the family emigrated to Canada for new opportunities in Milden & Outlook, Saskatchewan, moving on to Saskatoon in 1973. While raising her children, she also supported her husband’s medical practice, working as the receptionist /clinic nurse. Throughout the years, Rosalie learned to handle the pressures brought on by Raj’s work and on-call schedule. She shouldered these burdens, along with mental health struggles, helping her children with her stoic and supportive manner. Possessing an alert mind and a natural curiosity about the world, Rosalie decided later in life to obtain her real estate license, then returned for technical training at Compu-College to expand her computer and office skills. She also worked briefly in retail sales at the Bay and as a dispatcher for NorSask Security Systems.

Later in life, Rosalie met her future husband Jan van den Berg through volunteering. She had a long history of volunteering with the St. John’s Ambulance Society and so she convinced Jan to volunteer with the organization so that they could serve together. In October 1993, Rosalie married Jan and retired from work. Jan was a professional truck driver and Rosalie enjoyed several cross-Canada/US journeys with him and their cat “Tabatha” over the years. Rosalie remained active into her late 60s, having taken trips to the UK with her daughter Frances and son-in-law Gregg, to visit immediate family, and to Alberta to see her son David and family. Rosalie was impacted in recent years by health and mobility challenges, with extended hospitalizations leading to a transition to long-term care (late 2023), then hospice (late 2024). In December 2024, she transferred back to long-term care, until her passing. Despite these challenges, Rosalie enjoyed daily visits with her husband and daughter, reading, history, murder/unsolved mysteries, documentaries/conversations about the Royal Family, and especially series such as The Crown and Downton Abbey. She was an English lady who didn’t like to complain. Rosalie had a profound gift of accepting all that life dealt her with tenacity and grace.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Drs. Nayar, Meguro, and Renuka-Prasad, along with deep thanks to all the staff at St. Anne’s Care Home (where she passed) and the Hospice at Glengarda. The family also greatly appreciates the kindness, support and assistance from her neighbours and St. Anne’s support staff throughout Rosalie’s final weeks. Rosalie was predeceased by her parents, Frances and Leslie Cornish, as well as her sister Elizabeth, brothers Gerald, Monty, and Tony, and granddaughter Megan. She is lovingly remembered for a life well-lived and well-loved by devoted husband Jan, devoted daughter Frances (Gregg) and son David (Tracy), grandson Rylan (Kalynn), stepsons Ben and Matt, granddaughters Rayne, Kara and Maya, and great-grandson Colton, and her beloved sister Susie (David) in the UK, as well as several nieces and nephews in UK and California.

Please take a moment to view and comment on the pictures below, as well as share your memories of Rosalie. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dignitymemorial.com