my grandpa, well, he was amazing.
Whether he was weed whacking or letting my cousins and I jump on the bed with him. Whether he was wondering if we were having banana cream pie for dessert or if we ended up not having it. (but we probably did considering that it was his favorite.)
I will miss him. 
BUT he is in a better place now, he is with his maker, creator and savior. Knowing this gives me hope and comfort, I will see him again.   


 My grandpa was an amazing person. I remember he would tell stories about when he was a kid. 
This is one of those stories. My grandpa was around 10 years old and went camping with some of his friends in a forest. One of them had brought a can of beans so they placed it on a shovel and tried to cook it over the fire. After a bit the can of beans exploded everywhere. At my tender age of four, I then learned don’t bake beans over a fire. 
I will miss him. 


What I loved about my grandpa is that most of the time we got together my grandpa would usually play with the grandkids.
We would climb all over him.
My grandpa would choose to play with the grandkids.
He was and always will be the best grandpa on earth. I will miss him.

I will miss him greatly. Janet and I wish for Sharon and the children to be comforted at this time.

I first met Albert when he joined ISM. We worked together on many computer related projects over the years. He brought a concern for everyone and his work ethic was outstanding.

After I moved to Abbotsford, I went to Northview to find him ushering there. It was quite a surprise and led us to renew our friendship. We often talked about everything: the old times and current times. He was a great comfort to me when I was helping my brother through his illness. He brought the compassion of the Lord to our conversations. 

I know he is with the Lord and will probably be fixing their computers as well.

We got to know Albert & Sharon a number of years ago by regularly sitting in the same "section" at church. Eventually we began visiting over the pew which then turned into volunteering in the church kitchen together and attending the same bible study.

We really appreciated that when Albert arrived (by the way he and Sharon were never late) for kitchen duty he was ready for action, enthusiastic and willing to do any job assigned to him even if he had never done it before. He never missed an opportunity to be a taste tester and provided his studied opinion.

We also appreciated his strong faith and his confidence that God was in charge and all things would work out according to his plans.

Our deepest sympathy to Sharon and family. We pray that God's peace and comfort will be ever present.

We will miss Albert.

Dave & Cheryl Balzer

We are grateful for the time we knew and served with Albert and Sharon at Northview.   I would like to echo all the other comments, but also add a little of what I knew of Albert's work. 

He was involved as a senior programmer for many years, and developed some of the code for the banking and telecom industry, working in assembler language (super nerdy!  Eg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_language#/media/File:Motorola_6800_Assembly_Language.png )

Even IBM used some of his code for their mainframes.  He was well respected, and later took on roles as an advisor to large organizations setting up their data centers.  One of his most recent projects involved leading a team of people to help UBC/SFU and other universities set up their labs online so students could continue their courses this fall.   Recently, he decided to learn Python (a more modern computer language) just for fun.

He also loved his work at EcoDairy doing landscaping.  He was an allround super talented guy, with great character.  We are going to miss him, and our love and prayers go out to Sharon and the family.

Albert Vanderveen.......a kind, God fearing man,  always willing to share his wisdom and love too so many.  

Paul and I, including our children  have witnessed this first hand in our life with Albert, Sharon, Brandon, Audrey and James being such wonderful neighbours for so many years on 272B St in Aldergrove.  

We will miss seeing Albert at church (Northview), his smile, and his warm welcome serving heart!   Albert adored his wife, children and grandchildren......his pride and joy! 

Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to you all!   May our Heavenly Father grant you comfort and peace during this time <3




Having lived beside the Vanderveen's for years , I have many fond memories of Albert.  I remember sharing books, we had the same interest in authors, many candid discussions he shared with me about his time at ISM.  He had a genuine concern for ones well being, our conversations often led to life events, raising children and our everyday walk with the Lord.   He was such devote family man.  After the Vanderveen family moved from our neighbourhood we saw Albert at church serving as an usher, always smiling with a warm greeting!  Albert has touch my life deeply, I will miss him!  My condolences to Sharon, Brandon, Audrey and James and your families........You too will always be in my memories and prayers.  

Albert was a true "Gentleman".  He was kind, generous, soft spoken, and had a winning smile.  But make no mistake he was firm in his beliefs and his Faith was his number one priority on this earth.  We feel privileged to have known Albert, he was a good neighbour, friend, and a true role model for us all.

We were completely shocked and stunned  to hear the news of Albert’s sudden passing.  

Our deepest and heartfelt sympathy goes out to you Sharon and to your family.   Indeed, we sorrow with you.
 
Ron and I have greatly valued, and truly retain such good memories of the years we spent with Albert and you in
Bible Study.  We very much enjoyed our friendship with you both and the myriad of discussions and topics that we engaged in
together as a group.  We look back on those times of
community and fellowship with much gratitude.

We trust Sharon, that you will be lifted and sustained by the prayers of all those that love and care for you.

In friendship,
Corrine and Ron 

Our uncle Albert was our dads older brother. 
Albert was so calm, which we didn’t know a Vanderveen could be (dad), he was also so kind and caring.
We always remember his place in Aldergrove which the yard was so spick and span. The landscaping was to the tee with everything nicely trimmed and cut. 
We also didn’t quite knew what our uncle did for a living. Every time it was ask we heard a lot of bigger words and terms so the smile and nod method worked all the time :) Albert was always known as the very smart uncle!! 
The love Albert had for his family was amazing. He also took such good care of his parents and especially at the end of their life he was there at their side through it all! 
Albert was so strong in faith showing his love for our God and Saviour.  We have so much comfort knowing his is with his Lord!
He will be greatly missed!! 

This is a poem, often recited by my Dad, which came to mind this week and I would like to share with you.

THE LOOM OF TIME

Man’s life is laid in the loom of time
To a pattern he does not see,
While the weavers work and the shuttles fly
Till the dawn of eternity.

Some shuttles are filled with silver threads
And some with threads of gold,
While often but the darker hues
Are all that they may hold.

But the weaver watches with skillful eye
Each shuttle fly to and fro,
And sees the pattern so deftly wrought
As the loom moves sure and slow.

God surely planned the pattern:
Each thread, the dark and fair,
Is chosen by His master skill
And placed in the web with care.

He only knows its beauty,
And guides the shuttles which hold
The threads so unattractive,
As well as the threads of gold.

Not till each loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God reveal the pattern
And explain the reason why

The dark threads were as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.

Author Unknown –


We met Albert a number of years ago as we served with him and Sharon in the kitchen at church serving weekly meals with a marvelous team of people, some of whom we were privileged to join in a weekly bible study.  This was the beginning of a very wonderful friendship.  Albert was a very intelligent man, a deep thinker and well read, and it was always a pleasure to visit with him and hear his thoughts on the latest in technology, or current events, but mostly, we so enjoyed when our conversation would turn to the Word which Albert read and studied daily.  We will miss the richness of those times reading and studying the Bible with Albert because what he had to share stemmed from a deep reverence for the Word of God and from his certainty of the faithfulness of God and the absolute sovereignty of God.  His words were always chosen carefully and he strove to honour the Lord and bring encouragement, understanding and value in everything he did and said.  He was a true example of a man of God and was a dear brother in the Lord.  We are so grateful to God for the privilege to know Albert as a friend and for the good times we had together.  Sharon and family, we share in your sorrow and will be praying for the peace of God to overshadow you and carry you through these hard times.  

I extend my heartfelt sympathy to Albert's family and friends.  I was a business client of Albert's for a number of years and, while I did not know him on a personal level, I can share with you that he was extremely effective at his work and a total pleasure to interact with.  No matter what the situation, Albert always approached it with a respectful, kind, collegial, and helpful demeanour.  He was a great guy who is gone too soon.  I am so sorry for your loss. 

Albert was my example of what a Christian man looks like. He was always there to point me in the right direction. He showed me the love of Jesus when no one else was willing. When I was at my lowest point in my life he brought me groceries and would pray for me. He was pivotal in my Christian walk through the highs and lows. I’m going to miss him very deeply. I’m thankful that Jesus blessed me with his friendship.
I’m sorry for your loss Sharon. Jade and I will be praying and thinking about you and the family.

One of my favourite memories of my Grandpa is when we went to Harrison Lake together. My Grandpa helped me build a sandcastle. Whenever I try to make a sandcastle by myself, it always falls over, but when my Grandpa helped me, it stayed up and looked perfect. He was really good at making sandcastles. Other things I loved about my Grandpa are sitting on my Grandpa's feet with my cousins while he walked around the house dragging us. Grandpa would always give us piggy back rides and shoulder rides. One more thing: Whenever we would have applesauce at my Grandpa and Nana's house, we would get 3 scoops. My Grandpa would spoon his spoons of applesauce and would count each scoop "1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/4, 2 1/2..." He was silly like that. I'll miss my Grandpa.

I grew up around this man. He was the father of my best friend James Vanderveen. He contributed to my upbringing. Him passing away shook me. I remember him always being friendly, loving,  and respected. I enjoyed having dinners and countless social gatherings with him. He will be missed.

We met Albert a few years ago in our bible study group.  He inspired us with his love for the Lord and the amount of time he spent in the word desiring to know his God in a deeper way.  Our group prayed for each other and we felt blessed to have such Godly people as Albert and Sharon in our lives.  Albert was a quiet and humble man who loved the Lord with all of his heart, soul and mind.
Albert also served on our kitchen team for the church Saturday night dinners.  Albert always volunteered to spend many hours in the dreaded dish pit serving reliably behind the scenes.
Albert is now in God’s presence for all eternity!  This unexpected passing reminds me that we do not know the number of our days and it is so important for us to be ready to face our God.
I will miss Albert.

In a very non-VanderVeen way, I've been too wordy and now require multiple posts. If you are reading this then you should scroll to the first post (there will be three now) in order for any of this to make sense. 
One last memory; I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the weedeating. I don’t think there ever was or ever will be another person on this planet who enjoyed weedeating quite as much as Albert. The man retired/quit early from a successful career in… something… did we ever really figure out what he was doing?… for a career in weedeating. Hockey players hang up their skates for golf clubs. Albert hung up his laptop for a weedeater. Of course, we all know that his considerable work ethic and insatiable interest in the computer programming and technology archane didn’t actually allow him to cease that work so he just ended up with two jobs instead of one. I envy him that he loved his work so much and I’m both encouraged and inspired by his passion and interest in all the work he did. I would also be lying if I didn’t admit that I will greatly miss how nice he made my farm look. Albert couldn’t smell a thing. This seems unrelated but I’ve often wondered whether this was why he could enjoy weedeating so much. I’d like to think that it made him like it less and, at the risk of maybe sounding a bit inappropriate, I like to imagine that on the morning of November 20th Albert opened his eyes to eternity and after worshipping his saviour and having a long talk with Him for at least 10,000 years, he was commissioned with his heavenly weedeater and is busy doing what he loves. He’s keeping the place tidy and in order. Except now he smells every blade of grass and it makes him love it even more.

So there is the tribute and now for some memories! Others have wrote about dad and the grandkids so I won't say much other than two things. One, never have I seen my children so enthralled by someone talking than when grandpa told a story from his childhood. Two, never have I likened a human to a pack mule more than when grandpa played with the grandkids. 
Dad was always the first to help. Always the first to give. AND always the first to leave. You could set a watch or carry out an elaborate bank heist or plan a simultaneous air, water and land assault off of his behaviours. 8:55PM. Where is Albert going?  Is that the microwave I hear? Oh Albert is back to talk to us. Oh is that the microwave beeping to notify us that it's work is complete? Wait where did Albert go again? 9:00PM. Oh there he is or was because he juuuust went to bed. That was at his house but if he was anywhere else… 8:15PM… everyone of his kids knows what comes next… “Sheddie we should go.” NASA could have planned a rocket launch based on him.


There are already so many amazing tributes and memories shared here about Albert and I would echo so many of them. His worship and dedication to his God and saviour Jesus were inspiring. His love and devotion as a husband and friend to Sharon were both heartwarming and instructive. His desire for good and goodness for his children were persistent and encouraging. And his absolute attention to and delight for his grandchildren was a joy to witness. What a remarkable man. A man whose patient forbearing, humble generosity, soft wisdom and unyielding effort, effected more people in more ways than he could ever have imagined, myself included. He worked, showed and talked me out of countless predicaments. Whether it was in the yard, a life decision, a house reno, or a spiritual consideration,  I could always count on him to be present and trustworthy. I've been married to his daughter for almost 17 years and I didn't start calling Albert "dad" until maybe a year or two ago. It's silly that I didn't sooner and it's silly that it felt so awkward and it's feels kind of silly to make a deal out of it now but I'm really glad that I did call him dad eventually because he was to me. I admire him very much and will miss him and yet I am so thankful and joyful for him that he is with Jesus now and free from the burdens of this life. He truly exemplifies what Jesus said:
"Well done good and faithful servant. Enter now into your Master's rest."


My dad fills a special place is my heart. He was a man to admire and emulate. He was a man of God and led a life of servitude. He was quiet, calm, and thoughtful. He was usually the first and last person I would turn to for advice. He was always eager to help, and his help was thorough and methodical. He loved to put together spreadsheets!

I remember the  frequent wrestling matches on my parent's bed when I was young. Especially the times when he would pick up a kid to toss  and realize that half the neighborhood kids had also somehow found their way into our epic matches.

As a teenager who loved to sleep in, I remember waking up to the sound of the weed-eater every Saturday morning as he did the edging around the round stepping stones beneath my window. I swore at the time he did it to wake me up, but he always denied it.

I used to love hearing my dad talk about his own childhood. His stories were always fun and full of humor. I've probably heard the same stories a dozen times, but I never tired of hearing them. Especially the time he shot Uncle Allen in the butt with a pellet gun (the story was always best told with Uncle Allen present to run commentary).

My dad wasn't just an amazing father to us, he was also an amazing grandfather to his grandkids. He ALWAYS made time for them. And they loved him so much for it. His willingness to sit with them, engage with them, play with them, and be a human jungle gym for them. He adored them and they adored him.

I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with a dad who was such a godly man. I take great comfort in knowing that he is with the Lord.

Albert was my older brother.  When we were young I remember Albert being a very quiet, calm and smart brother. He loves playing with electrical motors often asking our dad if he any broken down equipment.  Albert never argued always said “yes dad and mom” than  he did his own thing anyways ( I have  a son like that he must take after his uncle) . Later on in life I really noticed his love for our Lord and Saviour, and how he would share this love with others. He love his family greatly and brought them up in the fear of the Lord. He also showed this love to our dad and mom especially the last few years of their lives, always visiting them and looking after them. I will miss my brother Albert dearly, but I know he is where is great love is, with his Saviour Jesus Christ.

Brother, So many good memories growing up with Albert,  the wise, caring, quiet, logical, reasonable ( but also very forgetful,)  one out of  the clan, and  when Albert and Sharon got married and the little peeps came along so did the memories continue, the Saturday nights at their house  playing trivial pursuit with Al and I to our best ever camping trip at Killbear . Even after they moved to B.C. and we seen them maybe once a year? when we got together it felt like yesterday.  The love that Albert felt for his family was truly amazing, especially when he talked about his grandkids. Jacob still remembers Uncle Albert as the Uncle with the ice cream and sprinkles and whip cream uncle LoL.  Not only did Albert have so much love for his family, but he had so much love and faith in God, until we meet again Albert you are always in my heart and thoughts XOXO

My dad was always a man of routine. Saturday morning was always THE day to go grocery shopping.  When I was younger, and when Audrey was too cool to go grocery shopping with dad, I took over that responsibility. Tim Hortons was always involved without fail. When I became older, I wasn't as interested in the grocery shopping, but always went for coffee with him when he got back.

Other fond memories would be our trips to Mt. Baker, or Granville Island with the whole family. At the time I wasn't really a big fan of hiking up a mountain, but looking back I'm glad we did it, and it was actually a lot of fun. On the way home us kids would be fighting and dad would reach back with his freakishly large hands to try pinch whoever was causing the raucous.

He was always a family man. Always interested in hanging out with each of our individual families and grand kids. Many memories of kids hanging off of him and riding on his shoulders. I'm happy that we were able to go on some trips with him and mom as well.

Sharon & Albert married when i was in grade 9.  Rumour has it that Sharon proposed to Albert :)  Albert was and remained such a great addition to our family.  Melinda and I spent a lot of time with them when they were first married and lived in the apartment across from the graveyard.  It has been a pleasure watching them build their family and lives together.  We were all very sad when they left Ontario and headed to BC with my most wonderful Brand, Aud and James (all so young back then).  We missed so much of their lives after that.  
Albert was a wonderful father & grandfather but he shines through more to me with the love he had for my sister. He loved her so beautifully; truly as God outlines in His Word.  He set such an excellent example for his children of how a husband should cherish his wife.  Although she will miss him terribly and feel his loss, she has had such a wonderful life with such an incredible man at her side along with all of the memories that go with it.
I will miss him dearly as well but I thank God that we have the comfort of knowing we will see him again one day......


To sum up my dad in a paragraph on here seems like an impossible task. I have so many special memories of my dad: our childhood of camping in Penticton and having our dad throw us up in the water, going to Tim Horton's and grocery shopping together every Saturday morning, sitting curled on my dad's lap watching tv together, the memory of my dad holding my firstborn in the hospital and the emotion in his eyes, watching him play fight with my kids on my parents' bed or give the kids pony rides. We shared many conversations, often filled with advice and encouragement...there are just too many to share. 

My dad is and will be greatly missed. His growth in his love and knowledge of the Lord encouraged me and influenced me to examine my own faith. He was a faithful and godly man, always humble, and completely servant hearted. He had a desire to glorify God in every aspect of his life and it was evident.  He loved my mom and their marriage was a beautiful example to us.  He loved me with a love that taught me how valued I am and what a good man and husband looks like. He also loved his grandkids so dearly, exhausting himself by being their pony, pack mule, or playmate. 

While we are devastated as to this sudden loss of such a good man, we have incredible hope knowing he's in the presence of Jesus, welcomed as a good and faithful servant. God has been so good to us that are left behind, giving us the strength, peace, and comfort we need each day.

My fondest memories of Albert were with his grandchildren .  At family dinners at Albert's son , James and daughter in law Katie's home, it was always common to see Albert crawling on the floor with one child on his shoulder, one on his back and one pulling on his leg.  Katie is our daughter, and Albert was her father in law.   He was indeed a man of honour, strength and selfless love  it was our honour to have known him.
Sharon and family, take comfort in knowing how deeply loved and admired Albert was and is.
Kent and Carolyn 

Lorelai may have only had 11 years and Raquel only 7 with Grandpa.  But those short years where willed with playing with, climbing on and cuddling Grandpa.  Memories they will remember and cherish.  

I had the privilege and joy of being married to Albert for more than 41 years.  He was such a loving thoughtful husband, always encouraging me.  He loved our kids and instilled a wonderful work ethic in them and has passed on his deep faith in the Lord Jesus.  His joys were playing with his grandkids, lovingly tending gardens and lawns and long long walks often with me.  I am so thankful that we vacationed last year in Utah, something we'd hoped to do for a while but finally found the time to do. Happy for that memory now.  We had such a wonderful time exploring Bryce, Zion and other canyons in that area, marveling at God's glorious creation!  I will miss him terribly, but have a lifetime of beautiful memories.  I will see him again and my joy is knowing he is with his Lord and Saviour.

OBITUARIO

Albert VanderVeen

10 julio, 1958 – 20 noviembre, 2020

Woodlawn Funeral Home

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