IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Albert Petrus
Janssens
April 6, 1928 – July 8, 2015
Obituary
The Legacy of Albert Petrus Janssens
Echoing through the hallways of our home or in the garage by his constant presence at his workbench, our dad would bellow his famous catch phrases….."Yes, indeedy, she's a dandy". He always called our mom 'Lovee Janssens' and he was fondly known as 'Big Al' to both strangers and friends alike.
At the tender age of eleven, he lost his father and was thrust into a role growing up years earlier than intended. He became the designated man of the family, and most of his childhood was spent ensuring his mom and sister were taken care of. Born in Chicago, IL. In 1928, early on hard work became one of his trademarks. At the age of 16 he was working with the trains when a runaway barrel broke his knee. That was the end of his football career.
Never deterred from doing what it takes, he eventually found he had an affinity for hauling freight as well as discovering he had an impressive ability to relate to people. His acumen for business and sales excelled as he went on to executive management in large freight companies
Flying all over the country for his job on a weekly basis and camping with the family in almost every state in the U.S. over the years, he had a plethora of information that he stored in his vast memory which included amazing details and directions of all the places he visited. You could ask him about almost any random town in the U.S. and he could describe street corners and the businesses on each of them to get you where you needed to go. A strong work ethic, dad worked almost 24x7 doing something. It was rare to see him sitting around doing nothing. If not flying to clients, or camping with the family, he'd be building entire room additions onto his home, fixing cars, building decks and patios, planting plants, or just tinkering in the garage. You could always count on dad as the handiest guy around to fix what was broken! He was also an avid photographer, cataloging the events and landscapes of our lives on a regular basis. We have enjoyed the fruits of his own dark room for many years, being able to reassemble places we've visited, parties we've thrown, or major events in our families history through his eyes.
Well respected by both friends and family, Dad was character driven, with a strong sense of commitment to God, his work and family. He consistently displayed the attributes of perseverance, truthfulness, and above all, he was fearless. Dad's facial expressions and humor were always timely in conversations. When he did express himself, he was powerful with a minimal amount of words. He was one of those rare people that didn't say much, but said a whole lot by not saying anything. A quiet power. As one of his kids expressed about Al, "Lions don't have to show their teeth to hyenas". He had the ability to draw people in with just his presence, a calming and protective influence on those around him - you felt like all would be right with the world regardless of what was going on. His 'do whatever it takes' attitude and his fierce love of both God and family was a characteristic he kept throughout his life that endeared his family to him right up to the very end.
After he retired from the freight industry at 65, most men would be content to live a sedate life and call it a day. That was definitely not his style. He immediately went out and got a job working at Disney until he was just shy of 84, driving a bus for guests. Dad was the oldest bus driver Disney had on staff at the time of his 2
nd
retirement in 2012! His natural affinity with people gave him and many more years of satisfaction of doing a job well done.
Eventually, dad's heart began to deteriorate and his independence and perseverance shined through amidst some of the most debilitating days. Dad's deep love for his family throughout his most difficult times and the realization that we all must rely on God even during those days when life throws us curve balls was very evident. As the psalmist declares "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me… for in the end Al knew as David did that he would "dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:4,6, NASB).
As an alternative to flowers in honoring Al Janssens, you may donate a gift in his name to the following:
Campus Crusade for Christ,
100 Lake Hart Dr.,
Orlando, FL 32832 or Cornerstone Hospice, 2445 Lane Park Rd., Tavares, FL 32778.
Arrangements are:
There will be a Celebration of Life Service on Monday, July 13, 2015 at 4:00 PM at the Better Life Worship Center, 332 Mohawk Road, Clermont, with Reverend William Hakes officiating.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Albert Petrus Janssens, please visit our flower store.
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