Cornelis Rietdijk

It is with great sadness we announce that the Lord took Cornelis (Cees) Rietdijk home on December 11. Cees was born in Holland on Oct 15, 1948 where he met and married Hannelies. They took the opportunity to move their family to Thunder Bay, Canada in 1979. Together they raised four children - Gail, Derek, Annet and Rob.

Cees was a heavy duty mechanic by trade, and had a gift to work with his hands. In 1988 he opened the Delaval dealership in Thunder Bay to serve the farmers, and serve he did until selling the business in 2016. In his spare time he fixed cars, and many friends were made and helped. Between chemo treatments Cees bought a house in town to renovate, to give his granddaughter a place to stay in Canada while having his first great-grandchild.

Cees quietly served the Lord by being His hands and feet to those around him. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 46 years, Hannelies (also known to many as Johanna), children Gail (Yonas) Gorfe, Derek (Dawn) Rietdijk, Annet (Kirk) Maurer, Rob (Susie) Rietdijk, and 11 grandchildren Zanna, Zayma (Sammy Nair), Zack, & Zoya Gorfe; Hannah & Seth Rietdijk; David Maurer; Kyra, Haylee, Ella & Bryson Rietdijk, and great-grandson Sebek. Also left to mourn are his brothers Piet, Jan, Jaap, Adrie, and sisters Marrie and Corrie.

He was predeceased by his parents and brothers Bert and Teun.

Friends will be received at Hope Christian Reformed Church, 1315 Crawford Ave, on Monday December 18, from 7-9 pm. A celebration of Cees’ life will be held on Tuesday December 19, also at Hope Church at 11 am. Memorial donations will be accepted for Wycliffe Bible Translators’ work in Ethiopia if you so desire.