Adelwisa ‘Adelou’ Capel

Peacefully passed away at home on Thursday, April 4, 2024. She was in her 82^nd year. Beloved wife of Adrianus ‘Adriaan’ Capel. Loving mother of Alexander (Kelly). Cherished grandmother of Owen and Willem. Sister of Eduardo and the late Eleonor (2003). She will be lovingly remembered by her nieces, nephews, extended family, and her many friends.

After completing two years of Business Administration, she began her working career in the Manila Department of Health. After several years, she applied for and was accepted as an administrative assistant at the World Health Organization – Pacific West Region head office in Manila, Philippines. More than a decade later, she and a close friend decided to apply for positions at King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the first step towards positions at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. She met Adriaan by chance in December 1978 while on an R&R Trip to Thailand. By chance, the tour group was almost totally comprised of King Faisal Hospital staff and Bell Canada International (BCI) personnel, which included Adriaan who was a manager with BCI organizing the Saudi Telephone Company. It was literally a “love at first sight”, which blossomed quickly into an almost 45-year marriage. She gave birth to their son, Alex, in Manilla, both because of medical concerns and to be with her extended family. After his birth, Adriaan made a trip to the Philippines to return Adelou and son, Alex, to Saudi Arabia. She immigrated to Canada in 1981. They settled in London, Ontario, where Adriaan’s Bell Canada department had relocated from Toronto. Both were to become thankful for this, given today’s circumstances. In late 1984, Adriaan was asked to return to his position in Saudi Arabia. With considerable help, her Canadian Citizenship process, application and Ceremony, was accelerated to meet their December 1984 departure. They stayed in Saudi Arabia until the BCI contract ended in December 1988.

She became an accomplished cook and baker, relishing new food horizons. Together, they joined a bowling league, since Adelou loved to bowl and did so from 1991 to just after her cancer diagnosis. As a voracious reader, she built up an extensive library of her authors, some spanning several decades. Her yearly supply of garlic was planted beside her tulips and rose bushes. In summer, the patio became a sea of potted cherry tomato plants and salad trays, while inside, she mothered her Christmas cacti which flowered twice per year. She became a long-time volunteer member of the London Bell Pioneer Heart Pillows group, already in existence for many decades, and which makes small pillows to be given to heart surgery patients at LHSC – University Hospital. After Adriaan’s retirement in 1997, she thoroughly enjoyed the many weeks spent each year at their cottage, especially the “burning the brush in a barrel” part. Travel became the main focus after the cottage was sold in 2007. First were two trips to Australia in 2009 (7 weeks) and 2012 (10 weeks) to visit and tour with Adriaan’s many cousins in Perth and Sydney. Then a trip (3 weeks) to the Netherlands in 2015, during which Adriaan’s cousin hosted daily outings around the country. In 2017, it was a cruise (6 ½  weeks) starting in Sydney, Australia, on to ports in New Zealand, American Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii, Los Angeles and Vancouver and then continuing on the same ship to 4 stops in Alaska before returning to Vancouver. The final trip in 2019, was a cruise (7 weeks) from Fort Lauderdale, stopping at several islands in the eastern Caribbean, ports in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Falkland Islands, Chile, Peru (side trip to Machu Picchu), Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico and ending in Los Angeles. She was thankful that they had made the last trip before COVID made further travel impossible. During her marriage, these trips plus many shorter ones taken during their 7 years in Saudi Arabia, resulted in her having touched 6 of the 7 Continents (excepting Antarctica).

In all a life enjoyed, well-lived and one of which to be proud.

Cremation has taken place. At her request there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, donations in Adelwisa’s memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.