June 28, 1940 – July 11, 2026
Ben Alders, 86, died on July 11, 2026, in Hamilton, Ontario. He was born Bernardus Alders on June 28, 1940, in Veendam, Groningen, the Netherlands, the son of Geert and Gezina Alders. In 1952, he immigrated to Canada by ship with his parents and grew up in Wellandport, Ontario. He learned English in a one-room schoolhouse; as he told it, he started on one side of the room with the smallest children and worked his way across as his English improved. Ben was the first in his family to attend university, earning a Bachelor of Science in textile technology from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He worked as a consultant in Europe, with assignments in Greece, Ireland, and Germany, before returning to Canada to start his own textile business in Toronto, first as Bullet Shirts and later as Quest Sportswear. He lived for many years in Burlington, Ontario, and later Mississauga, Ontario. In his later years, he moved to Dunnville, Ontario, where he spent most of his time before taking ill. Ben loved dogs—probably more than people—as well as reading, British comedy, and a dirty joke. He is survived by his longtime companion, Jane (Jannie) Allison; his friend and former wife, Margit Ursula Alders; his children, Gesine Alders (Carl Hill) and Olaf Alders (Lisa Stevenson); his grandchildren, Skylar, Celia, and Phoebe; and his siblings, Rick Alders (Carol) and Femmie Scott. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Gerald Alders. Ben donated his remains to the McMaster University Anatomy Bequeathal Program. A memorial inscription will be placed at the McMaster Memorial Tower, Bayview Memorial Gardens, Burlington. A memorial will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026. For details, please contact memorial@wundersolutions.com. The family wishes to thank the staff of St. Peter’s Hospital for the care and kindness shown to him over his years there. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation at
https://hamiltonhealth.ca/ways-to-give/today/?form=Donate, designated to St. Peter’s Hospital.
