Obituary of Cornelis Lots

July 15, 1940 – Haarlem, Netherlands
November 28, 2021 – Calgary, Alberta

Cornelis "Neil" Lots, beloved partner of Evelene Newsome, of Calgary, AB, passed away on Sunday, November 28, 2021 at the age of 81 years.

Cornelis, but as most people knew him – “Neil”, was born in Haarlem, Netherlands on July 15, 1940. To his family in Holland, he was called Conny, to his Dutch friends he was Kor, to his grandsons he was called Ope, Opie or Opis his motorcycle buddies called him Stainless Steel Neil. At the Co-op Pharmacy he was known as Lots of Trouble because that’s how Neil introduced himself.

During the war, his family was forced to Stuttgart, Germany. He was only three years old but within days he was playing with other little children and fluently speaking Swabish. Besides his native Dutch, he was also fluent in English, German and Africans. After the war, the Lots family moved back to Holland but there was no work for his commercial artist father so they were offered the opportunity to go to South Africa or New Zealand. Of course, they chose South Africa because there were many Dutch people there. Neil’s 1946 passport, states he was an “alien”. After grade school, he attended St. Salesians Institute to learn the machinist trade, how to weld as well as cabinet making.

Through co-workers, he met a beautiful local lady. Remember, South Africa was under apartheid so their dating became a game of cat and mouse. He would take his buddy Errol’s car and Errol would take Neil’s VW resulting in the police always chasing the wrong man! Love won out and Neil and Sylvia fled to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and were married. More political issues came up because of their marriage and Neil was to be deported back to South Africa to face criminal charges. Consequently, they escaped to the Dutch Embassy and then on to safety in The Netherlands.

Coming from a lush, warm country, they did not enjoy the damp and dreary winters of Holland so two years later in 1971, they immigrated directly to Calgary. However, Neil’s 24/7 work ethic caused their divorce and Sylvia went back to South Africa and passed away a few years later. Proudly, Neil became a Canadian Citizen in 2002. 

He was a current member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #284 and the Bearspaw Historical Society (assisting as maintenance man), and a former member of American Society of Metals, Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Harley Owners Group, and he was always at Evelene’s side at her retirees’ events.

Neil and Evelene loved to dance. In 1998, they were “set up” at a dance by mutual friends Loretta and Gary. Neil was a graceful, elegant ballroom dancer, taught by his mother in the kitchen of the family home. Before his open heart surgery in 2000, they would go dancing up to five times a week. One of those nights was at Auntie’s nursing home dancing to the music with wheelchair occupants as their partners.

They also loved the wind blowing on their faces as they drove down the highway on one of Neil’s motorcycles. In 1999, Neil took Evelene on the back of his Buell to Sturgis, South Dakota. This was his seventh trip to the well-known Bikers’ Bash (but Evelene’s one and only time). Another big ride took them to Yellowstone National Park. They often hopped on the bike after work and traveled to Kananakis.  

Neil and Evelene enjoy many cruises and trips with their family and friends, including a trip back to Cape Town, South Africa to visit his old friends and haunts. They also circled totally around South America, the South Pacific, China where he walked on the Great Wall, eastern and western Europe, the Mediterranean, the Baltics including St. Petersburg, Russia and Scandinavia, all the Canadian maritime provinces but number one on his list of travels were the five cruises to Alaska and eastern Canada with their beloved grandsons.

You can be sure, two or three times a week, you would find Neil and Evelene attending Brent’s hockey games or Cameron’s  basketball games or going to an event to listening to Dylan sing and play guitar.  They never missed and unfortunately the past year, Covid prevented them seeing more of the grandsons’ events. 

He will be most remembered for his incredible knowledge of metals and machining. He had an uncanny ability to design metal pieces to operate in different applications. He was also a locksmith, engraver, and blacksmith. Neil still worked half days every day up to and including the day he fell and broke his hip on November 25. 

Evelene admired Neil’s kind heart. He had unlimited patience visiting cousin Victor at the Bethany Nursing Home or two and three times a week visiting Evelene’s late brother Peter at the Hospice, helping elderly friends with their moves to a new home or assisting them physically to get to an event. For 15 years, Neil and Evelene volunteered at the Drop In Centre helping make and serve meals for the homeless. His garage was always open to someone requiring help fixing or repairing something. He was so easy to please when it came to food but don’t ask him to cook!

His rapid passing has been a shock but it is the way he would have wished – no suffering, being able to stay in his home and working and enjoying the companionship of many of his friends until three days before he left us.

Besides Evelene, his loving partner of 23 years, Neil is survived by his brother Maurice and sister-in-law Mieka, of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and stepchildren, Janene (Brock) and Jim; and his beloved grandsons, Brent, Dylan and Cameron, all residing in Calgary. He was also very close to Evelene’s brothers and their families. He was predeceased by his parents and older sister Gerda.

A Celebration of Life will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Chapel Of The Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB), on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Hospitality Centre at the Funeral Home. While you are enjoying a few snacks and a cup of coffee/tea, there will be an open mike. Evelene will appreciate anyone to come up and share stories about your relationship with Neil. Neil did not want a “funeral” but he loved to get together with his dear friends so let’s enjoy this celebration of his life and be grateful he was part of our lives. Those attending will be asked to provide valid government identification (with name and date of birth) AND confirm one of the following: (A)Provincial vaccine record with QR code (paper or digital); OR (B)negative COVID test (within 72 hours); or (C)valid medical exemption (signed letter); OR (D)under 12 years of age.

If you so wish, donations may be given to Agape Hospice, 1302 - 8 Ave. N.W. Calgary T2N 1B8 or a charity of your choice. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Cornelis “Neil” Lots, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB T2E 2V6, Telephone: 403-243-8200.