John A. Vedell, age 94, of Dundas, Ontario, passed away peacefully on October 2, 2023, at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton, with his loving family by his side.
John was born on August 18, 1929, in Chesterton Indiana. In 1955, after earning a BA and Master of Divinity, he was ordained by the Augustana Lutheran church. Upon moving to Ontario, Canada, he lived in various cities including Kenora, Toronto, and London, where he married Barbara in 1960. The couple later moved to Montreal and welcomed their three children: Sean, Colin, and Alexandra.
Pursuing further education in both Montreal and California, John transitioned from ministry work in 1969, focusing on a career in the social services. After relocating to Hamilton, Ontario, he dedicated 21 years to serving as Executive Director of Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth. John was involved in the Hamilton community, serving on several Boards of Directors, consulting as an accreditation reviewer, and teaching part-time at Mohawk College.
John harboured a love for gardening, reading, writing, theater, music, hiking, Tai Chi, and poker. He cherished long lunches with his friends and passionately cheered for the Toronto Blue Jays. A dedicated family man, John relished reunions and loved connecting with U.S. relatives over Zoom.
In memoriam, John joins his wife Barbara Vedell, son Sean (Barb) Vedell, granddaughter Sarah (Peter) Vedell, sister Arlene Luke, nephew Peter Vedell, Kenneth Vedell (predeceased), and sister-in-law Marilyn (Tom) Vedell. He is survived by his children Colin and Alexandra Vedell; daughter-in-law Barb (Sean) Vedell; grandchildren Rebecca (Paul) Bovbel, Patrick (Sonja) Vedell, Erin Vedell, and Tyler Vedell; great-grandchildren Tyson, Roze, Arthur, Lucy and Ollie; brothers Tom (Marilyn) Vedell and Robert Vedell and his wife Janet, alongside numerous relatives and friends in Canada and the U.S. who will miss him dearly.
A celebration of John’s life will take place at Turner Family Funeral Home at 53 Main Street in Dundas, Ontario, on October 12, 2023, at 11:00 am, with a reception to follow.
If desired, memorial donations may be made in John’s name to Doctors without Borders, Plan Canada, Canadian Cancer Society, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
To view the livestream please visit https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=42ff2f36-032a-40d3-badf-dae1e78258ef
John and Barb were always welcoming when I frequented their home with Sean while we were going to school.
The family has endured such loss of such great human beings. None of which will be forgotten for leaving the world a better place because they were in it.
Our deepest sympathies to the family.
When I imagine a leader, I think of John. He was mine from 1986 until he retired from Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth and during those years he employed a wonderful combination of skills. He was able to balance competing sets of demands by judiciously keeping our common humanity at the centre and using his well thought-out plans to achieve what was possible for the community.
John has died but his ideas live on.
I love John. I always will love John. Love never ends. God is love.
From his youngest brother.
As a long-time former employee of Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth, I remember John Vedell as a fair-minded and even-handed Executive Director. It was his guidance, more than anything else, which sustained our Agency, particularly during those most fiscally difficult years of the late 1990s.
May he rest in peace, and may the ideal of “Strength to Families” endure.
Most sincere condolences to the family from my husband, John, and me.