Willem (Bill) deGelder
April 13, 1933 – February 22, 2014
Bill was born on April 13, 1933 in Berkel en Rodenrijs, Netherlands to Dirk and Antje deGelder. He was the second of seven children. In 1952 the family immigrated to Canada where they settled in Hamilton, ON. Bill moved west to Vancouver in the early 1960’s where he resided until the mid-1960’s when he went on an adventure and ended up in the Yukon Territories. It was there in 1967 that he met his future wife, Carol Smith. They were married on January 19, 1968 in Teslin, YT. They had two children, Arlene and Kevin. In December, 1975 they moved to Smithers, BC where Bill and Carol have lived ever since.
Bill was a jack of all trades during his life but he always loved woodworking and he built many beautiful things over the years. Bill worked at Groot Logging and Repap in his time in Smithers and retired in the early 1990’s as Planerman for Repap. He was always a hard worker and did the best job he could.
In his later years the highlight of Bill’s days were his morning coffee visits with his friends. He looked forward to this time to catch up with the guys and discuss current events. Many fond memories and friends were made those mornings.
Bill was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Leonard. He is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Arlene, son Kevin, and his brothers and sisters Tom, Nell, Dick (Martha), Corrie (George), and Harry (Martha).
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cancer Society, Heart & Stroke Foundation, or CNIB would be appreciated.