Jacob Gabriel Vander Kooy

We celebrate the life of a brother & friend.

Jacob Gabriel Vander Kooy passed away peacefully at sunrise on Monday, June 2, 2025 at the age of 73. Jake was born on Friday, March 14, 1952 to Simon & Jo Vander Kooy at Peel Memorial Hospital, Brampton. Younger siblings include John, Ellen & Ray.

He enjoyed an idyllic life in the apple orchards on the 5th line of Huttonville, Ontario, however that came to an abrupt halt on Thanksgiving Day, 1963, when Simon, his father and best friend, passed away after a short illness. Jake’s struggle with God, and his unanswered questions about life, began then.

As a young man it was important to financially help support his widowed mother and three siblings. Jake worked hard in various capacities; a labourer in the Holland Marsh, construction worker in Brampton, and at Brampton Brick stacking cubes of bricks in the hot summer sun. Jake was incredibly proud of the fact that while he could only stack 7 cubes a day at first, he achieved 25 cubes at the end of his brickyard career.

Jake’s working career migrated to work as a letter carrier for Canada Post. After travelling and personally experiencing global wealth inequality, his restless and inquiring nature led him to enroll at Atkinson College at York University where he earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees. In 1992, after a total of ten years and while working full time, Jake earned his PhD at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with an “A” average. The Atkinson Spectrum featured Jake with an article titled, “The Postman and the PhD” in May 1993.

While continuing to work at the post office, Jake taught many International Relations courses at York University, for 20 years as a contract professor. He loved this work! He loved the students and the students loved his lectures, which is reflected in the many positive comments found about him on ratemyprofessors.com throughout those years.

The dark clouds of political correctness began to affect all educational institutions while Jake was teaching at York. He missed out on teaching one course due to York U’s affirmative action choice for a contract prof. York’s affirmative action choice failed, and after 2 weeks Jake was asked to help complete the course. In one of his lectures, Jake compared the Dutch immigrant experience to that of recent immigrants. A few students complained, and York forced Jake to undergo mandatory “sensitivity” training.

Jake despised the anti-God, anti-life, globalisation forces that affect almost all Judeo-Christian western democracies. These globalist entities include the WEF, CDC, WHO, IMF, UN, EU and others. His personal struggles with the forces of evil gave him a unique insight to the macro forces that negatively affect our world today. His sister Ellen recalls discussing many political views with him, including his recent attendance at a couple of G.A.R.T. (Great American Restoration Tour) conferences in Deadwood, SD and Las Vegas, NV. These were events that he cherished a lot. He had already made travel arrangements to attend the next conference in August, 2025.

Hockey, football and boxing occupied Jake’s recreational interests. John recalls that it was important to cheer for the Montreal Canadiens

(Jake’s favourite team) when there were only six NHL teams, as he would risk Jake’s disapproval if he cheered for Toronto. Ray & Jake played many games of hockey in the basement as kids.

His love for boxing, included all heavyweight and middleweight fights, while accumulating an extensive collection of “Ring” magazines and boxing gloves. NFL football games were religiously followed – the New England Patriots being his favourite team.

Jake’s love for all of God’s creatures was clear when he attended a local Catholic church where the priest conducted a special service for a blessing on all animals. He felt that, given the fact that animals co-existed peacefully with man in the Garden of Eden, animals would surely be found in heaven as well.

Jake will be missed by siblings John (Carol), Ellen, Ray (Renee), nephews, nieces and their families, as well as many friends such as Ralph & Shirley, the Men’s Church coffee group that met at John’s restaurant, nearby neighbours on Pressed Brick, and others whose lives he touched.

Visitation at Wards Funeral Home on June 19, from 6 PM – 8 PM.

Celebration of Life at The Legion, 80 Mary St., Brampton, on June 20 at 11 AM.

In the place of flowers, donations may be given to the Toronto Wildlife Center.

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