Evelyn van't Riet

Evelyn S. van’t Riet (MacKay) (1933-2026), beloved mom, nana, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully with family by her side in North Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 92 years of age.

Born on August 23, 1933, as the youngest child of Mary Belle (Fraser) and Mowatt MacKay, Evelyn was raised on the bustling family farm in Riverton, Nova Scotia. She trained at Victoria General (VG) Hospital School of Nursing in Halifax and graduated from Dalhousie University with a specialization in Public Health in 1955. As a registered nurse, she worked in Hamilton before venturing west to Calgary, where she embarked on her career as a public health nurse, married her husband, Pieter van’t Riet, and started a family. She tirelessly raised three children while modelling hard work, quiet strength, and resilience. Before she retired from public health, Evelyn touched the lives of countless patients, including mothers and their newborns, students, and community members. She was a faithful, generous, and highly respected congregational member and volunteer at United Churches in Calgary (Woodcliff), White Rock (Sunnyside), and North Vancouver (Highlands). During her lifelong journey from the East Coast to the West Coast, Evelyn developed and sustained loyal friendships that lasted her lifetime. In later years, she resided at Churchill House, North Vancouver, where she nurtured new friendships and enjoyed the support, care, and love of staff and residents.

Family was at the heart of Evelyn’s life. She loved and adored her children and grandchildren. With her bright smile, gentle laugh, and words of encouragement, she inspired us to be the best version of ourselves. Her actions demonstrated strong values, and wisdom was carefully dispensed with thoughtful questions — the answers always steering us in the right direction. Evelyn actively nurtured extended family bonds with frequent phone calls, letters, cards, and adventurous trips to the Maritimes, the Netherlands, and Australia. She will be fondly remembered for her kindness, patience, positivity, and generosity. “Let me pay for that”, was a common refrain, reinforced by her tactic of quietly slipping away from the restaurant table to pay for everyone’s meal.

Evelyn is survived by her three children, Gerald (Mary), Ann (David), and Brian (Ann), her six grandchildren, Avery, Laura, Amelia, Thomas, Peter, and Zachary, her sister, Anna MacKay, and her many nieces and nephews and their families in Canada and abroad. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Pieter van’t Riet, her brothers Robert, James, Walker, Frank, and Andrew, and her sisters Helen MacIntosh, Laura McQueen, Charlotte Maude Wood, Mary Settle, Marjorie MacKay, and Jean Kerr. She will also be fondly remembered by her many friends, as well as the caring staff at Churchill House.

Donations in memory of Evelyn may be made to Highlands United Church in North Vancouver, BC, or a charity of your choice. A celebration of life will be held in Calgary, AB, at a later date.