In addition to the in-person service at Steeles Memorial Chapel, the funeral will also be live-streamed. To view the service virtually, please go to https://smclive.ca/ on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.

Van Shron, beloved husband, Daddy and Zaidy, passed away at age 81 on Yom Kippur, September 21, 2026. Van was born in Montreal, grew up in St. Laurent and went to St. Laurent High School and McGill University. He and his wife, Sonia, were high school sweethearts and married in 1967 in Montreal, then moved to Toronto in 1977 with their sons, Gregory and Jason. Eventually settling in Thornhill, Van built a career importing sportswear and later bedding, and had many opportunities to travel around the world for his businesses. Van and Sonia owned a cottage in the Kawarthas, affectionately named “Au Petit Poucet,” and spent 31 years enjoying life on Crystal Lake.

Van was a remarkable man. He was a pillar of strength to all in his orbit, the unmistakable patriarch of his family and the person everyone relied on when they needed help. And Van was always there to help – his generosity and spirit knew no bounds. He was a devoted husband to Sonia and together they built a deep relationship that served as a shining example for all that knew them. Van loved a challenge, diving in to tackle whatever arose when most would have backed away. He had an almost unquenchable thirst to learn, curious about everything from quarks to geo-politics to the intricacies of pickleball…and always focused on keeping up with the latest tech and medical science. He found success in business, reinventing himself numerous times along the way.

What filled Van with the most joy, spirit, and “naches,” however, was the family he and Sonia raised – two remarkable sons who married equally remarkable women and built successful careers, taking their own journeys because Van and Sonia had raised them to pursue their dreams. As importantly, Van was enormously devoted to his grandchildren, always finding the time to join them on their own adventures…many of which he concocted on his own. Zaidy was an ever-present part of their growth into teens and young adults.

Van leaves behind his wife, Sonia (nee Herman), sons Gregory and Jason, daughters-in-law Samantha and Sidura, grandchildren Miriam, Boaz, Dalya, Nathaniel and Isaac, and devoted brother-in-law Michael Herman and sister-in-law Betty Herman. He will also be deeply missed by all his Shron and Schneider nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations can be made to:

Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation – https://cpff.ca/donate/

Hatzoloh Toronto – https://hatzolohtoronto.org/