Gerard "Gerry" de Vries

We announce the passing of Gerard (Gerry) de Vries on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at the age of 86. Gerry was a beloved son, husband, dad, grandpa, great grandpa, brother-in-law, cousin, and uncle, who had an amazing life. He had many adventures, living, loving, and working in the Netherlands, the United States of America, and Canada.

Gerry was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on August 12, 1940, to Frits Jan de Vries and Marijke Hogeterp-de Vries, the youngest of four children. He immigrated in 1964 to the USA on the SS Rotterdam with his parents and his sister’s family (Carla, Bep, and Peter). It was in the USA that he met Charlene, married, and had two children. He then immigrated to Canada in 1976.

Wherever he was employed, he earned deep respect and affection for his integrity, hard work, and generous spirit. Although an accountant most of his life, Gerry was a true handyman, tinkering, building, and expressing his creative side through his hands. In his early years, Gerry loved photography and videography, even developing his own pictures. Through this, his adventures live on today. Before losing his sight, one of his passions was genealogy, and he took great pleasure in extensively researching his family tree and sharing that information. In addition to being fascinated with genealogy, he wrote a short book about his experience in the Netherlands during the first 5 years of his life (1940-1945). One of his great joys was his 75th birthday party that brought together much of his extensive family.

Family was always important to Gerry, and he was well loved and will be remembered as a caring and playful brother-in-law, cousin, and uncle, to his innumerable brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephews, and their children.

Gerry was preceded in death by his father, Frits Jan de Vries; his mother Marijke Hogeterp-de Vries; his siblings and their spouses Jo (Hank) Mankor-de Vries, Fred (Gerda) de Vries), Carla (Bep) de Vries-Ysebrands; and his nephew Vincent de Vries, all of the Netherlands.

Gerry is survived by his wife, Charlene Lois (Lawrence) de Vries of Courtenay, British Columbia; his children Kylan (Carissa) de Vries of Ashland, Oregon, and John (Kathy) de Vries of Courtenay, British Columbia; his grandchildren Ashley (Reece) Rivard of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Ben de Vries of Courtenay, British Columbia, and Waverly and Wendelin Sojka-deVries of Ashland, Oregon; and his great grandchildren Hudson, Nathan, and Blake Rivard of Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Gerry’s celebration of life will be on Friday, July 23, 2027 in Nanaimo, British Columbia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation in memory of Gerry. https://www.cvhealthcarefoundation.com/donate