Meet a Community Elder: Tina Daalderop

Singer, writer, adventurer, athlete and opera fan, Tina Daalderop’s zest for life is matched only by her dedication to her community.

Tina was born in Baltimore, the youngest of three children. Her parents divorced when she was just three, and remarried, creating a blended family that exposed her to different lifestyles. Her politician father and stepmother, who grew up abroad with a father in the foreign service, inspired her curiosity and love for travel and adventure. Her mother, a New York model, and stepfather, a physician, led her toward pursuing a career in the medical field.

After high school Tina obtained a degree in early childhood education, followed by an RN, working at Johns Hopkins Hospital. After a break for travel, she returned to school, earning a bachelor of science and helping to set up a clinic for illegal immigrants.

Tina Daalderop has had a lifelong commitment to community service.

On a trip home during that time, her stepmother introduced her to Matt Daalderop, who had immigrated to Canada from Holland to study optometry. They married four years later, settling briefly in Toronto before moving in 1975 to the home on Bolton’s North Hill where they have lived ever since – though not without interludes of travel and adventure.

Those adventures included a 15-month transatlantic voyage by sailboat, during which their two children, Mark-Jan and Marijke, then 10 and 11, were homeschooled at sea.

Although Tina long harboured a dream of returning to Maryland where her siblings still live, her commitment to the Caledon community has never wavered.

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Driven by both her cultural and social service interests, she was instrumental in establishing the Caledon advisory council aimed at fostering culture in Caledon and served on the board of Caledon Community Services. Over the years she has also volunteered with the Orangeville Concert Association, the Humber Valley Heritage Trail Association, Meals on Wheels, HomeJames and Chez Thrift.

Now 78, she is spearheading the post-Covid revival of the popular CrossCurrents music nights at Bolton United Church. And she does some performing of her own at local seniors’ residences with fellow guitarist and singer Freda Wrench. She continues to stay physically active as an avid tennis player and certified Nordic pole walking instructor.

Tina says she feels blessed to have had a busy and fulfilling life, and she adds emphatically, “I’m not done yet.”