Obituary of Vera Katherine Asselstine
Vera (nee Chaplin), beloved wife of the late Vernon Asselstine for more than 78 years, passed away peacefully at age 99 on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Scarborough. She was the loved mother of Gerald, Alan (Mary Frey), Les (Marilyn Ryan), Doug (deceased), Donna (deceased), Floyd (Ruth Smitherman), Colin (Christine Freeman) and Teresa (Max Meer - deceased). Vera will be missed by her 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Vera was born on April 1, 1920 in Quebec City. She grew up on a small farm near Napanee, Ontario. As an only child, she was very proud of the way she worked alongside her father helping with chores and caring for the animals. At Napanee High School she met Vernon’s sisters and one of them introduced Vera to Vernon. In 1939, she and Vernon married and went on to establish a home in Oshawa. While Vernon served during World War II, Vera managed their home and cared for their three boys. By the time they had four boys, they decided to move to their farm in Cartwright Township and continued to expand the family with two more boys and their daughter, Teresa.
On the farm, Vera was kept busy caring for the home, gardening and ensuring the kids made it to the school bus on time. She was a prolific baker and made the best pies, squares and cookies. When Vernon started a business selling snowmobiles in 1971, Vera managed the accessories department and the bookkeeping. She and Vernon worked in the business until they retired and ‘Asselstine Country’ was taken over by Floyd and Ruth.
When true retirement came, Vera and Vernon enjoyed travel and time at their cottage near Kingston and their winter home in North Fort Meyers, Florida. The winters in Florida were very special for Vera, there, she enjoyed a variety of activities including singing in a choir, dancing, and playing bridge and shuffleboard. Each spring she would share their experiences by compiling photo albums with detailed notes of their activities. In later years they moved to a house in Port Perry and then to an apartment at the Port Perry Villa. In 2015, they moved to Altamont Care Community in Scarborough.
The family of Vera Asselstine will receive friends at the WAGG FUNERAL HOME, 216 Queen Street in Port Perry (905-985-2171) on Saturday, July 20th from 1 – 2 p.m. A Service to celebrate her life will be held in the Chapel at 2 p.m. Private interment Asselstine Cemetery, Erinsville, ON. If desired, memorial donations may be made by cheque to the Port Perry Hospital Foundation. Memories, photos and condolences may be shared at www.waggfuneralhome.com