The family of Heather Nielsen is saddened to announce her passing on April 22, 2023 at the Sturgeon Hospital in St. Albert. She was in her 87th year of loving life.
Heather is loved and will be deeply missed by Knud, her husband of 62 years, their children; Baird (Wendy) of Calgary, Nancy (Boyd) of Red Deer, Linda Keyes (Griffin) of St. Albert, and Bruce (Tobi) of St. Albert, 7 grandchildren - Jordan, Matthew, Ivy, Gabrielle, Piper, Isabel (Felipe) and Sophia, and great-grandson, Felix - all of whom gave her great delight.
Heather was born in Winnipeg in 1936 and spent many summers at Kilmarnock cabin at Grand Beach. After finishing school, she worked in Winnipeg and Montreal, then moved west to Calgary where she met her beloved Knud in 1960. They were married in Rosemere, Quebec during an ice-storm in February, 1961, then settled in Alberta to start their family. After 6 years in Calgary, Canmore and Banff, the family moved to St. Albert in 1967, growing deep roots in the Grandin and St. Albert communities.
Heather was heavily involved in civic, school, and church community efforts throughout St. Albert, and instilled those values in her kids and grandkids as they grew. She helped start a preschool in the Grandin Clubhouse in the 1970’s, helped start and grow the Sir George Simpson Book Fair, and was a constant with the United Church Women’s group. For over four decades, Heather was a devoted volunteer, canvassing for Heart and Stroke, counselling cancer patients through Reach to Recovery, delivering Meals on Wheels with Knud, and helping others in countless ways.
Heather and Knud built their family cabin at Mons Lake where they would gather with family and friends for over 25 years. As they retired, they developed a deep affection for the Algarve in Portugal and spent fourteen of their winters there - enjoying the sun, escaping Alberta’s deep freeze, and coming back in time to get tomatoes ready for the garden.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Unit 28 and the ICU of the Sturgeon Hospital for their compassion - our Mom was very grateful for your care.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Sturgeon Hospital Community Foundation.
A funeral will be held Friday May 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at the St. Albert United Church. A light luncheon to celebrate Heather’s life will follow in the Grandin Room at the St. Albert Inn.
