Mrs. Kuyt was a formidable person, but was also one of the kindest people I have known. She was a great cook. Her meals were phenomenal in terms of the variety of cuisines ( Indonesian (nasi goreng anyone?), Dutch, Italian, British, Canadian) she had mastered and in terms of the extremely generous serving sizes.
Her chocolate cake was legendary!
Her precise diction and Welsh accent marked her as unique in Calgary. Like my mother she came from the UK to what was at time a somewhat unsophisticated small city on the prairies. This was not an easy thing to do when my mother arrived in Calgary in 1945 and it wasn’t much easier when Mrs. Kuyt arrived ten years later. Like my mother, Mrs Kuyt overcame challenges head on and was unstoppable.
I was so lucky to have known Mrs Kuyt. She was always full of fun and was a first-rate conversationalist. Her knowledge of music, history, art, current affairs, and so much more was impressive.
Although I have been in Toronto for well- over a decade, I will always have fond memories of the many fantastic dinners, Andrew’s birthday parties, and other events held in the comfortable and extremely tidy house on Conrad Drive.
We were all better for having known Mrs Kuyt.
With deepest sympathy to all of the family,
Bob, Ada, and Brendan Lawrence
