Obituary of Reinier de Vries

Reinier passed away peacefully into the presence of his Lord and Saviour on June 14, 2023, at the age of 93 years. He will be lovingly remembered and missed by his wife of 65 years, Anna (Anne), and his children, Mark (Natalie), Carl and Ray.  He was affectionately called Opa by his grandchildren, Christopher (Amy), Tina (Cody) and Stephen (Dominique) and Super Opa by his great-grandchildren, Maxin, Theo, Emily, Luc, Isla, Ruby, and Zach.

He was predeceased by his sisters, Joke, Margot, Eva and Jeannette and his brother, Henk. He is survived by Theo, his younger brother living in The Netherlands.

Reinier immigrated to Calgary in 1955 from Meppel, The Netherlands.  He was the only member of his family to come to Canada seeking adventure after reading about it in a book.  His career of 30 years was with CP Rail until his retirement in 1992 at the age of 62.

He volunteered with his wife at the Mission Thrift Store for 20 years.

Cycling, camping, hiking, travelling, and swimming were all activities he loved. Working in their flower gardens at their house on 26th avenue and walking everyday was part of his daily routine. 

He was a humble, quiet, sweet, very caring man. You could often find him sitting outside with his wife having a cup of coffee and snacks, taking in the sights and sounds of their beautiful backyard.

Our family wishes to extend many thanks to all the incredible, compassionate, loving staff at Agecare Walden Heights where Reinier lived for over a year. We can’t thank them enough for making his last few days so peaceful and comfortable for all of us.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made in memory of Reinier to The Shalem Society for Senior Citizens Care at 3000 – 51 Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T3E 6X6, phone (403)240-2800 https://www.shalem.ca/.

A private family service will be held at Queens Park Cemetery. Memorial Services will be held at Emmanuel Christian Reformed Church (3020 – 51 Street SW, Calgary, AB) on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the Church Hall. Condolences, memories, and photos may also be shared and viewed here. 

Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Reinier’s service streamed live (see below) on the day of the service. For those who are unable to view live, a recording of the service will be posted. https://youtube.com/live/zMUHTOsSIUU?feature=share Condolences, memories, and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Reinier de Vries, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.