Gertrud passed away peacefully on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, surrounded by her family. She was 98.
Gertrud Maria Madsen was born in Hammerum, Denmark on Sept. 27, 1925, and grew up in Copenhagen. After working as an air hostess for Scandinavian Airlines, her career with the Ministry of External Affairs took her to the Danish Consulate in Hamburg, Germany, where she met her husband John Raynard.
They emigrated to Canada in 1951. They built a house in Gleneagles, West Vancouver to raise their family, which included three children and several dogs.
For 35 years Gertrud and John owned a successful travel agency in downtown Vancouver. After John’s death in 1998, Gertrud lived a quiet life of books, classical music, gardening, and entertaining dear friends and neighbors.
Gertrud was a gentle and gracious Scandinavian lady who turned her Gleneagles home into an oasis of European cultural heritage. She was completely fluent in three languages. She loved her family and treasured her Danish traditions.
Mourning her passing are her children and their spouses: Patrick and Isabella; Gilbert and Beatriz; and Birgit and Ben. Also grandchildren Valerie and husband Erik; Lars and wife Lindsay; Marcel; Roy and wife Adriene; Jed; and Christian. Plus great-grandchildren Mia, Finn, and Hank.
Special thanks to the wonderful staff at Cedarview Lodge in North Vancouver, who cared for Gertrud during her last two years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, 2347 Inglewood Avene, West Vancouver. Father Vincent Hawkswell, celebrant.
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