Ben was born May 8, 1945 in Bergen, Netherlands, to Hendrikus Mattheus and Johanna Schouten. He was the cherished and loving husband of 52 years to his wife, Odette Marijtje (Gijzen). He was an amazing father to all of his children, Gregory (Shawna), Rachel (Mark) and Kevin (Jacqueline) and the best damn Papa any of his grandchildren could ask for (Tyrus, Acacia, Cailyn, Kolten and Dylan). They will miss him dearly at their sporting events, FaceTime visits and their special time with their Papa. He is survived by his siblings, Adrian (Jannie), Huib (Trudy) Fietje (Gunter) and Marga (Willem) and dear brother in law to Ilonca Gijzen. He was the cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Ben and Odette made their journey to Canada in 1969. He had a passion for cabinetry and fine craftsmanship which he built his career around.
He will be remembered as a kind soul who would give you his last dime, lend you a hand, cheer you up with one of his jokes, (sometimes very inappropriate) and hug the sadness right out of you. Ben was taken way too early and will be missed each and every day. We were so lucky that we had such an amazing role model in our lives. He will live on forever in our hearts and our memories. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle.
Ben always had a huge heart for everyone, including animals. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Barrie Humane Society would be a great tribute to Ben’s love for animals. A Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring 2022. Arrangements entrusted with Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home, 30 Worsley Street - Barrie. Online condolences and memories may be left at www.steckleygooderham.com