Obituary of Ilse Ansari

Ilse Ansari (nee Volz), 88, of London, Ontario, Canada, passed away serenely in University Hospital in London, Ontario, on December 13, 2024. Ilse was born on February 4th, 1936, to Hermann and Helene Volz in Wuelfrath, West Germany. Upon graduation from Frauenfachschule, followed by apprenticing in the care of Krabbelkindern (‘crawling children’) in a Mutterhaus, she moved on to apprentice and work from 1954 to 1959 as a technical draftswoman for Architect Paul Schienbein in her hometown of Wuelfrath. In 1960, she headed to Edinburgh, Scotland to study English and took on a role as an au pair for Lord Strathspey’s three children, where she not only met Prince Philip, but also her husband of nearly 63 years, Mohammed Judeh Ansari. She returned to Germany to practice her English and ciphering skills at the Bank of America Foreign Remittance Section for about a year. She then re-joined Mohammed in Amman, Jordan to marry in late 1961 and start their life together. They had two children, Nadir (1962 in Amman) and Fareed (1968) after they moved to London, Canada in 1964. Ilse worked until the day she walked into the hospital on October 25th, 2024, having cared for various family businesses and properties and the Ansari household since 1962. Ilse was predeceased by her brother Walter Volz and parents. She is survived by her cherished children and grandchildren Daniela, Leonardo Laith, Renin and Chadin. A Celebration of Life is planned for Ilse’s birthday in the afternoon of February 4, 2025, at Studio 19 located at 19 King Street (the building of the Ansari’s residence for many years) in London, Canada. In lieu of receiving flowers, as Ilse loved flowers (and children and family and friends and kittens and cooking and baking and knitting, spinning, weaving, arts and crafts and travel and gourmet dining and on and on), she requests that you all surround yourselves with plants or flowers, to beautify your environment, as she strived to do every day. We will be setting up the wreath she intended to assemble with us upon her release from the hospital – with tradition-appropriate red Advents candles. Memories and condolences may be shared online with the family on Ilse's Tribute Wall at www.mpcemetery.ca.