Anton passed away peacefully on May 29, 2015 in St. John’s Hospice, Vancouver after a 2-and-a-half year battle with cancer at the age of 61. He is survived by his wife Vivienne Kuipers-Taylor, brother Herman Kuipers, and his two sisters Mariam Jefferys and Ricci Lundquist.
A memorial service will be held on June 19, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at the Centre for Peace located at 1825 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver BC.
Anton was born in Tilburg, Netherlands to the late Maria Gerarda and Anton Herman Kuipers on June 13, 1953. He graduated from Thorbecke Lyceum in Hague, Netherlands before coming to Vancouver, Canada in 1972. Anton graduated from UBC with a degree in Science and graduate studies in urban planning in 1976.
He started his career working on the design team for Vancouver Rapid Transit, before moving to Montreal to work with CN Rail. He came back to Vancouver in the late 1990’s to work as VP for Leading Edge BC, utilizing his specials skills to bring different people and companies together to collectively work towards a common goal of securing international projects in countries such as Japan, Chile, Mexico and the US. His final and most rewarding career change was to the UBC Faculty of Science where he used his exceptional skills to form partnerships and raise unprecedented amounts of funds for research.
Anton was a loving husband and shared 32 wonderful years together with his wife Vivienne in their home on West Broadway. Anton enjoyed model trains, swimming, movies, jazz, and actively volunteering for social and political issues. He rallied for the better living conditions for the elderly and was a key player in the anti-HST campaign in 2012. In his more than 40 years in Canada, Anton maintained his strong connection to the Dutch community.
In lieu of flowers, a fund has been set up for a Picnic table at Sunset Beach where Anton enjoyed many peaceful afternoons. To make donations, visit https://donate.vancouver.ca/sslpage.aspx?pid=350
Condolences for the family may be left at www.kearneyfs.com