Aafje "Vicky" Maria (Witter) Mansfield

She was the last of her generation of six children, considering herself to be “the last piece of driftwood waiting to be swept out to sea “. She peacefully passed away in the early morning of Friday September 18th after 96 1/2 years of a truly colourful life.

She was born in the town of Barendrecht, in the Netherlands. She excelled in sports, a force to be reckoned with as a swimmer, and also in track and field. After the war, she trained as an RN and emigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954 to help with the polio epidemic, then moved to British Columbia to study art at UBC. It was there that she met her future husband Albert, marrying and settling in White Rock before later moving to Victoria.

Alongside raising her family of five children, Mom periodically worked in the medical field, mostly as an RN at care home establishments such as Mt Tolmie and Glenwarren. She also was a valuable member of the team at the Queen Alexandra Solarium caring for high-needs children. In her later years she loved her part-time job working at McDonalds, always enjoying her Big Macs. Mom had a great love for art and music, especially Bach and the sound of cathedral organs, and sang for some years with the UVIC Chorus. She also had a great love for animals with the house always filled with a number of much-loved pets. Having an eye to those in need, she adopted a variety of honorary family members, most memorably our dear Mrs.Scarth who joined us for a number of Christmases.

Mom is predeceased by her husband Albert, and stillborn son Benjamin Peter. She is survived by her son Richard, daughter Renee (David), daughter Rosanne, son Philip (Tanya), and son Derek (Milana). She is also survived by her grandchildren Bryce, Micah, Nathanael, and Olivia, and her great-grandson Nova.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Beacon Hill Villa especially her friend Anneke who brought so much love, colour and life in her later days, and her dear friends Wendy Denyes, Sheila Ried, Sheila Moss, Michelle with Wayne and Amy who all took the time to visit with her, care for her, and bring her joy.