Great is Thy Faithfulness, Oh God my Father!

With utmost sadness, the family announces the passing of our father, grandfather, and great grandfather in the early hours of September 24, 2021. Dad was the loving husband of Coby for 70 years. We were so very blessed with Dad’s life, just having celebrated his 91^st birthday on September 14^th.

Dad was born in Nigtevecht, the Netherlands and grew up the eldest of 10 children, four brothers and 5 sisters.

Dad was educated as a pressman in the Netherlands, having articled four years to obtain his diploma in Amsterdam in 1949. He met the love of his life; Coby, his sweetheart and they were married in 1951. Dad wanted a better life for his family and in 1952 Mom and Dad immigrated to Canada aboard the “S. S. Groote Beer” which landed at Pier 21 in Halifax on September 30, 1952. Three days later they arrived by train in Southern Alberta.   In the spring of the following year, their first child, Jack was born.

Early work in Canada for Dad was at small printing businesses but he was soon hired in the Lethbridge Herald’s Commercial Printing Division to operate their new Heidelberg press. Through his hard work, dedication and talent, Dad advanced to Foreman and then Manager, a position he held for many years. Later, in 1985, when the opportunity arose to purchase the commercial printing business division, Dad, having the entrepreneurial skills, and with Mom’s support, seized the opportunity and a successful family business, Graphcom Printers Ltd. began. Jack followed in Dad’s footsteps in Graphcom and successfully took over the leadership role in 1993 although Dad was active in the business for many years following, the later years still running a press.   Dad’s keen sense of business and his experiences as well as his desire to give back to the Community and the Country he loved led him to take many volunteer positions including the St. John’s Ambulance, starting in the late 1950’s, being given many awards for his service by the Province of Alberta, serving in the Kiwanis Club for many years, serving as President, as well as the Lethbridge Symphony Association.  But overwhelmingly, it was his love for Christ and his Church that led him to work his whole life for the Lord and to demonstrate that love in the many roles he took to support the Maranatha Christian Reformed Church.

Although Dad loved to work, and he worked hard and many long hours to support his family, Dad also spent many wonderful vacations with his children and grandchildren on camping trips and trips in the Motorhome that Mom and Dad loved to take to Yuma each year in their retirement. They made many close friends in Yuma, Arizona.  Dad was a handyman in all aspects of the word, and he enjoyed working on his acreage in his later years.  Dad’s love for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren was immense but his amazing love for Coby throughout the 70 wonderful years of marriage they shared, was inspiring to us all.

Dad leaves behind to mourn his passing his loving wife Coby, his loving children,  son Jack (Laura) DeHeer, and their children Garth (Danielle) DeHeer, Ella, Olivia and Nash, and Tara DeHeer, his oldest daughter Marianne Bohmer (Randy Trotter) and her children Kristen (Richard) Vanderwal and Justin Jarvie, his youngest daughter Yvonne (John) Barthel and their children Alex and Spencer Barthel (Cassidy Vanden Berg) and youngest son Mike Oevering.   Dad also leaves to mourn his passing Mom and Dad’s caring neighbors and wonderful friends of many years, Bela and Ildiko Santa and their children Kinga (Zentner) and Csenge.

Dad was predeceased by a great granddaughter Brooke DeHeer, son-in-law Clark Bohmer, a brother Jeff DeHeer, and a sister Jenny Vandernet.

The family would like to thank the many home care and health care professionals who took such amazing and compassionate care of our Dad over the last five months with a very special thank-you to Brad, Kim and Celeste for your utmost compassion and allowing our Dad to live his last days with dignity.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. I have fought the good fight, I have won the race, I have kept the faith.”

Service will be held at Maranatha Christian Reformed Church (260 McGill Blvd W, Lethbridge, AB) on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at 11:00 AM, with Pastor Paul Van Stralen officiating.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, kindly RSVP your attendance to Cornerstone at 403-381-7777 or care@cornerstonefh.ca. Seating will be limited to 50 guests. Facemasks are mandatory and will be available upon entry.

The Service will be livestreamed and available to view via Gerry’s obituary on the Cornerstone website, as well as the Maranatha Church website.

Gerry will be laid to rest in Mountain View Cemetery during a family graveside service.

 

To send a condolence, please visit www.cornerstonefuneralhome.com

• Date : 2021-09-24
• Location : Alberta