Obituary of Mick van der Linde
Mick van der Linde
A Celebration of Life
gentle autumn light—
my beautiful boy drifts home,
held in loving arms
Michiel (Mick) van der Linde was born in The Hague in The Netherlands. When Mick was two years old, Mick’s parents Hendrik (Henk) and Maria (Miep) decided to move to South Africa for employment opportunities. Mick spent most of his childhood in Port Elizabeth where his younger sister Lotte and baby brother Bart were born. As a child, Mick didn’t really understand the reasons for Apartheid and shared many stories with respect to its injustice. Mick developed a strong social conscience from this experience and supported marginalized groups his entire life. The family could no longer live in a country with such blatant racist policies and left South Africa in 1957 to start a new life in Toronto, Canada.
Mick spent his teen years during the sixties, an era of peace and love that was so suited to his personality. Mick loved going to live concerts and witnessed the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Doors, the latter being a small venue attended by 100 people in Yorkville.
During high school, Mick excelled at all sports. He was a champion pole-vaulter, expert high diver and hockey player. He loved music, particularly the blues, jazz and classical He was a self-taught slide and jazz guitarist. He shared this love of jazz with Bart, who always said Mick was the better guitarist. Mick would downplay this of course.
Mick was multi-talented but very humble about it. Mick loved words and always had a dictionary by his side. He had thought that maybe he could put this talent for writing to good use but life got in the way. These talents did not materialize with a professional career. Mick worked as a forklift driver in the Stedman’s warehouse for over 20 years. This gave Mick more time to pursue his interests. Mick met Laura at Stedman’s and they moved in together when their daughter Janine was born. Laura had two other sons (Shawn and Scottie) and Mick treated them as his own.
Mick had a tumultuous relationship with his father. Being the oldest, Mick was scarred by this for life and sometimes the bad memories had an impact on other relationships. Mick was always devastated when this happened and the gentle loving part of Mick always shone through. He had the most loving relationship with his daughter Janine who he adored and with his mother Miep. When Mick’s parents separated when he was 19, Miep moved to an apartment with Bart. The happiest day of her life. Mick was a loving son who called his mother every day. “Hi Ma!” he would say with such enthusiasm. Miep loved her Micky. Susan and Mick moved into the same condo building as Miep to better support her. Mick was the last person to speak to Miep before her devastating death in 2010.
In the mid 80s, Mick developed a friendship with his current wife Susan. Susan was fascinated with Mick’s talents and knowledge of music and grew to love Jazz and classical. Susan and Mick were together for 40 years and in 1992 were married at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. They wanted something simple but memorable so they chose the drive-through option with the Reverand Dwayne officiating at the chapel drive-thru window.
Mick was plagued with chronic back pain since his twenties as a result of a work injury. He never complained about it but sitting for a long period aggravated it. So, he was always the handsome man standing at the back of the airplane chatting with the stewards or at the table in a restaurant.
While working at Stedman’s, Mick became dissatisfied with the working conditions, poor pay and most of all the lack of pay equity with men and women doing the same job. Because of the brave efforts of Mick, visiting all employees after hours to sign up a contract was signed bringing union, pay equity and better working conditions.
Mick and his comrades lost their jobs when Stedman’s went bankrupt in the early nineties. Due to Mick’s chronic condition, it was difficult finding another job. Susan was working on her career with Mick’s unwavering support and pride. So, they agreed that Mick would be the homemaker while Susan pursued her career. Mick excelled at this job. He cleaned, laundered and cooked the most delicious meals for Susan, many of them Indonesian fare that Mick learned to cook from Miep. Mick made gourmet lunches such as tandoori chicken wraps before this was a thing. A small note of love was included in every packed lunch. Homemaking days were filled with hobbies. He bought all of Susan‘s tasteful work clothes and even sampled purses for style and length, much to the astonishment of the saleswomen.
Mick bought a Yamaha keyboard and could play simple tunes by ear. He started recording music from the radio for his brother Bart using a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Many of the recordings are arcane and can no longer be found. Moving to napsters (yikes) and other media, Mick developed a comprehensive library of 10,000 recordings for his brother Bart. Mick also loved writing. He started a free email service for his wife, daughter, brother and friends. Each email was personalized with words and photos of their favourite things. Everyone looked forward to Friday Bonus – an extra special compilation of beautiful photos, mostly of nature.
Mick was also an amazing amateur photographer. His favourite subject was his daughter Janine and grandson Gavin. He was the wedding photographer for Susan’s brother Brian and sister-in-law Sherry; He was so pleased they had the confidence in him. And the photos were stunning.
Early in their relationship, Mick and Susan got the travel bug starting with a one week vacation in Grand Cayman where they became avid snorkellers. Mick was also the travel agent and discovered grand trips by going to the library and reading travel books. Mick introduced Susan to cruising, with 17 cruises taken over 20 years. Each cruise was a step up from the last. Snorkelling and zip-lining through the rain forest were always on the agenda. They traversed the Panama Canal three times and took a 15 day round trip cruise from LA to Hawaii. Mick was also very kind to the employees and tried to learn a bit of their language. He had such a facility for accents, delighting the Caribbean locals with his Patois. Mick picked it up playing guitar during a stint in a Jamaican band.
Saving the best for last, Mick was a very intelligent humorist. He had a quick wit and would crack up his family and friends with his verbal and physical humour. It surprised us sometimes because he was so quiet and gentle. For example, when Mick was in respite care, there was poor quality food at the restaurant. Most people would say that they would not eat there again. Not Mick. He lovingly said to Janine who dined with him: “Well, we will not be patronizing this establishment again”. Even in his last days, the paramedics said he was a funny guy.
Mick loved animals and children and played with them as if he was a child himself. Unable to have children, Mick surprised Susan in 2010 with one of the loves of his life Chloe the calico cat. He loved playing with his nephews Aiden and Jenson when they were little. He loved his daughter Janine like no other and by extension her husband Stuart. He adored their son Gavin and loved being his Opa. He called Janine sweetie and was enormously proud of her accomplishments. They had a special relationship. Janine was a wonderful daughter to Mick, caring for him with love and home cooked fabulous meals. Janine and Susan are also good friends, something Susan and Mick appreciated more than one could know. Mick’s favourite time was having his best gals by his side – Susan, Janine and Chloe.
Ten years before his death, Mick was diagnosed with COPD. This is a progressive disease with no cure. For several years Mick was able to travel, albeit requiring a wheelchair at the airport because he would lose his breath. Over the years his illness progressed. Susan and Mick’s last and best cruise was taken in mid-December 2019. On the flight home, Mick developed a blood clot which turned into a pulmonary embolism, furthering damaging his lungs. On Christmas Day 2019, Mick was given oxygen which continued 24/7 for the rest of his life. Mick never complained about it. In the early days he struggled for his independence and continued homemaking and shopping with his trusty O2 tank.
Mick’s health declined over the years, with the last year being the most challenging. He was so incredibly brave to hang on because he did not want to leave his best gals behind. He was hospitalized several times over the past year. His last hospitalization was in the beginning of November for two weeks. Mick did not want to die in hospital. The NYGH palliative team met with him and family and arranged for home supports. Mick began falling at home and the paramedics were called several times to help him to bed.
On the Saturday before his death, Janine had the foresight to come visit and stayed with Susan until his last breath. Chloe, the shiest cat in the world sat at his feet and watched over Mick and alerted us if Mick had fallen out of bed. Stuart joined and supported them the next day and the three slept on the couches during Mick’s final days. The day before Mick’s death, Bart booked a flight from Vancouver to be with his brother. Mick was heavily medicated and bravely hung on until Bart arrived. Susan spoke to him at length about their 40-year life together and although medicated, Mick squeezed Susan’s hand twice. Bart arrived and played guitar at Mick’s bedside. Susan’s brother Brian and Bart were by Mick’s side when he took his last breath with Janine and Susan in the next room.
The acts of kindness were overwhelming. Mick was treated with dignity and respect by the team of doctors, nurses, PSWs, paramedics, firemen and social workers. We have enormous gratitude for Doctor Leung, his palliative care doctor, Nurse Pessie, Nurse Practitioner Karen, Ontario Health at Home coordinator Rosemarie and team of PSWs, and Circle of Care Social Worker Jacqueline. Grateful to our G.P. Dr. Morse for her compassionate care over many years and respirologist Dr. Sanders for trying many innovative approaches in treating Mick’s COPD.
Mick did not want a service. He preferred simplicity. In the spring, Mick’s ashes will be scattered by family in the Scattering Garden at St. John’s Norway Cemetery where a small memorial plaque for Mick will be posted.
We are devastated by this loss. Achingly missed by his wife Susan, kitty Chloe and daughter Janine (Stuart), grandson Gavin, Brother Bart (Mir), nieces Calle, Jori, Avery and nephew Zak, Susan’s brother Brian (Sherry) and nephews Aiden and Jenson, Father-in Law Peter (Rosalyn).
Please share a memory, photo or sentiment of Mick's life here at his memorial legacy page.
Donations in his name may be made to the Toronto Humane Society, The Lung Association or the Scott Mission by using the donations tabs on his home page.
If floral tributes are desired please use the Send Flowers button, below, on this home page.
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