Leo Juffermans

September 29, 2022
In loving memory ~
Sadly, Leo Juffermans passed away suddenly and unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on September 29, 2022, at the age of 74. His absence will be deeply felt by his sole surviving brother, John and his wife, Edna; niece, Cassie, and her husband and three children; nephew, Logan, and his wife and two children; nephew, Brent, and his two sons; sister-in-law, Ivy; sister-in-law, Joan; numerous cousins and a multitude of friends and acquaintances.
Leo was born in Holland on April 11, 1948, the fourth of five boys. When he was five years old his family emigrated to Canada. (In his home in Union Bay, he proudly displayed a photograph of all five boys identically dressed in cowboy outfits in front of the airplane that brought them to Canada.) The family put down roots, literally and figuratively, by carrying on and adapting the family business - originally a tulip farm in Holland - to a nursery in Lefroy, Ontario.
As a young man Leo ventured west and lived for a time in Vancouver near Stanley Park. While there he often visited and enjoyed the Comox Valley but was summoned back to Ontario for family reasons. It was during this time in Ontario that he learned the hairdressing trade in Toronto and set up a high-end hair salon in his home in Barrie, Ontario calling it Leo's Curl-Up & Dye where he offered everything from haircutting and styling to coloring, highlights, and perms. But he never lost his love for the West Coast and was finally able to return to the area in 1994 and eventually settled in Union Bay, a perfect fit for him. He worked as a barber in Campbell River until he chanced upon the purchase of Bob's Barber Shop on 6th Street in Courtenay, re-naming it Leo's Barber Shop. It then became known as The Hub Haircutters when he relocated around the corner on Duncan Avenue. His shop contained an eclectic mix of vintage hair cutting tools, musical instruments, cigar-store Indian, antique barber chairs and a vibe as unique as the man himself.
He retired in 2013 and kept busy with numerous projects in and around his home. He enjoyed visiting and spending time with elderly residents of Union Bay and one of his passions was taking walks on the Coal Hills there. He was obsessed with classic cars and owned a few over the course of his life.
Gregarious, outgoing, and good-natured, Leo will be remembered for his boisterous laugh, his uninhibited tendency to strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger, his catlike ability to nap just about anytime/anywhere. Leo was always ready to eagerly offer his help and advice in any situation.
A Celebration of Leo's Life will be held at the Union Bay Hall on Saturday, November 5, 2022, from 1:00PM until 5:00PM. If anyone would like to share fond memories of Leo in the way of pictures and stories, please submit them to judirichards@outlook.com for posting on his Memorial Wall.