Gerrit Vanderhorst

Gerrit was born on September 3, 1951 in Coaldale, Alberta to Derk and Aaltje Vanderhorst, the youngest of 5 children. Around the age of 3, Gerrit’s parents moved the family to the Fraser Valley, where they dairy farmed for a number of years. Gerrit always enjoyed helping out on the farm, and enjoyed working with his hands more than with school books. J

Gerrit met Grace Bysterveld through church, and they started dating in 1970. They were married on June 29, 1973. Gerrit worked in construction for many years, building many homes in the Fraser Valley, including many of the homes Gerrit & Grace lived in throughout the years.

In the early 1980s, Gerrit & Grace purchased property in Matsqui Prairie, where they started chicken farming, with Gerrit building all the chicken barns along with help from others. Gerrit & Grace continued to chicken farm until the late 1990s.

In 1984, Gerrit & Grace were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Andrea, followed by their son Raymond in 1988 and their son Bryan in 1992. Gerrit & Grace enjoyed raising their family in the country, where bike rides were frequent, sports were played outside, and Rottweiler dogs were part of the family.

Gerrit enjoyed the sport of baseball from a young age, playing on the Blue Boys as a teenager with other church guys, to playing in the Abbotsford Mixed Slo Pitch league with Andrea when he was in his mid 50s. Gerrit also thoroughly enjoyed riding quads for many years, and loved exploring new trails by quad with his cousin Dan Vanderhorst.

Gerrit was a founding member of the Abbotsford Canadian Reformed Church, and always enjoyed worshipping there on Sundays, especially enjoying the organ music. He served as deacon there for many years as well.

When Gerrit retired from the construction industry, he found great pleasure in helping out Dirk Demooy and his construction company with little projects, supply pick-up runs, etc. Gerrit felt a kindred spirit with Dirk, appreciating Dirk’s work ethic, attention to detail, and superior workmanship.

Gerrit was always very quick to help his family with any project they had going on, from building furniture pieces for their home to helping with home renos and building play equipment for his grandchildren.

For many years, Gerrit & Grace enjoyed a home away from home at their son Raymond’s dairy farm, and always thoroughly enjoyed their time there with Raymond and his family, with Gerrit often helping out with various things around the farm.

When Bryan and his family moved to Ontario, Gerrit & Grace were thankful to be able to visit them there a number of times, and Gerrit loved listening to Bryan proclaim the riches of the Gospel in his congregation there.

Gerrit was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2007, and underwent major surgery to remove 80% of his liver. God was gracious in granting Gerrit many years of good health after that. His liver cancer returned in late 2023, and after 2.5 years of battling cancer, God called him Home in the early morning hours of September 11, 2026.

Gerrit will be lovingly remembered by his wife Grace, his daughter Andrea and Stanley de Haan, his son Raymond and Yolanda Vanderhorst along with Britton, Hayden, Delcy, and Colter, as well as his son Bryan and Paige Vanderhorst along with Zoe and Jesse. He will also be missed by his siblings Alice and Frank Schouten, Tina Hooper, Dirk and Marj Vanderhorst, Gerrie and Dave Terpsma, as well as Grace’s sibling Jerry and Maja Bysterveld, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends