September 29, 1942 – January 15, 2023
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our father and grandfather, John Kramers on January 15, 2023.
Left to enjoy cherished memories are his two sons Roger and Kevin (Stacey), and grandchildren Joshua (Cassia), Scott (Maya), Lindsay, and Brett. He is survived by his three brothers, Pieter (Danielle), Maarten (Donna), and Eric (Jan), and
sister Jennifer (Will). He is predeceased by his wife of 48 ½ years Joanne (nee Hodgson), and his parents Jacob and Elma Kramers. In keeping with John’s wishes, cremation has taken place and no formal services will be held.
We would like to express our thanks to the staff at the University of Alberta Hospital, the Kaye Clinic and the Cross Cancer Institute for their care and comfort over the past
several years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alberta Lung Association or the charity of your choice.
John’s intelligence, world perspective and good humour will be missed. He was an extremely organized guy and we enjoyed our annual, or more frequent, ‘tax time’ visits. I loved what I would describe as his Dutch common sense and stoicism. Warm wishes to all of his family – may many happy memories!
I first met John at the oil sands outcrops near Fort McMurray in 1978. John was instructing those of us new to the oil sands on their geological characteristics. We both spent many years at ARC and were in frequent contact. Later, our working relationship continued to flourish as John working with Clem Bowman helped us (AERI and AI-EES) in the use of ProGrid as a decision aid tool. When we both were semi-retired we used to meet for lunch at DeDutch in downtown Edmonton and chat about our background and life experiences. John was much to be admired – humble and caring yet determined to make a difference in everything he did. I will miss him. My condolences to the Kramers’ family.
I met John during our first year at U of A. He was in Chemistry at the time and I was in Geology. We became good friends that lasted well beyond graduation We kept in touch at least yearly (at Christmas) and it was always interesting to keep up with his and his family’s progress. He is missed by us and, I’m sure, by the many friends that he made throughout his lifetime.
I first met John in the mid-80″s when we were both members at the Coast Terrace Fitness Club which was at what was then the Terrance in Hotel. John worked for the Alberta Research Council whose office was in the Terrace Tower. John and several others used to go for a run most weekdays at noon. During that that time I met Roger and Kevin as well. John was a dedicated family guy and we all had a lot of respect for him. Unfortunately I did lose contact with John when their offices moved and was not aware of his health situation. My deepest condolences to Roger and Kevin and their families. May John rest in peace!
I first met John when he was part of the interview team as I applied to join the oil sands group at the Alberta Geological Survey. For the next several years we occupied adjacent offices and shared daily discussions on a wide variety of topics. In particular, I remember early on in my career when I accompanied John to do some fieldwork near Grand Rapids on the Athabasca River. We flew in by helicopter and spent several days in a fly camp. I remember very little of the geology, but I remember well how fascinated we were watching the little wasps who descended on the tin of ham which we had opened for our supper. Each wasp carefully cut off a small ball of ham which it clasped to its body as it lifted off to carry the food back to the nest.
Since we had each retired, we occasionally exchanged e-mails. I had not been aware of his health problems and I am very sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to Roger and Kevin and their families.
On behalf of the Associates of the Bowman Centre for Sustainable Energy I extend our sincere condolences to John’s family on their loss. We’ve lost a good friend and astute commentator on Canada’s energy systems. I am grateful for his contributions to our books over the last decade and his visits to attend our conference and to encourage our research. John was easy to chat with on so many topics.
Hello Roger and Kevin
Sorry for your loss. Best wishes are being sent across the rocky mountains. This note is written with fond memories of your father and his wonderful hospitality and stories. May you and your family keep well through this time of change.
Goodbye old friend, we will remember Naramata.