John (Nick) Tiel passed peacefully from this life to his heavenly home on Sunday morning, April 7, 2024, with family at his side. On Monday, April 15, his body was laid to rest in the Three Hills Cemetery.

John was predeceased by his parents, Klaas and Nelly (Neeltje), older brother John* and older sister Margaret (*Dad's immediate family had two Jans because there were two grandfathers named Jan who each had to be named after!). John leaves to mourn his beloved wife Berdina, their four children and spouses, 14 grandchildren and their spouses, and 20 great grandchildren (totalling 54) including: son Ken with wife Dora and their children, Josh (Natashia, with children Adelaide and Oliver), Emily (Nathan, with children Jude, Theodore, and Violet), Michelle (Steve), and Hannah (Chris); daughter Bernice with husband Harold and their children, Justin (Ashley, with children Adalyn and Elliott), Michael (Amy, with children Jayda, Ava, and Brody), Vicki (Nathan, with children Aubre Ella, Julian, Bennett, Hazel Lynn, and Thomas), Richard (Olivia, with children Tannin, Alana, Roston, and Anna), and Brenton (Shyanna, with son Cameron); daughter Debbie with husband Leon and their children: Kurtis, Mark, and Amanda (Zach); and son Andrew with wife Bev and their children: Gavin (fiancé Ashley) and Liam. John's sisters Jennie and Nellie and his brother Abram and sister-in-law Alice, his Talen siblings, and his nieces and nephews on both sides of the family also mourn his passing.

John (Nick) Tiel was born on May 9, 1937, as Jan Klaas Tiel in Broek op Langendijk, Netherlands, as the fourth child of six. He enjoyed his childhood in Holland and emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 11, landing at the dock in Québec City on his 12th birthday, May 9, 1949. Jan Klaas, when he became a naturalized Canadian, took the English middle name "Nickolhas" and went by Nick, since his father was Klaas and his older brother was John. He worked on their sponsor's farm with his older siblings and father from spring to fall for two seasons. During the first few winters, he enjoyed school, especially math, learning English and completing school to grade 7. His family moved to their own farm at Balmoral, north of Winnipeg. Beginning in his mid-teens, he worked fulltime to help support the family. When John was 19, he moved to Edmonton, studying and working to become a journeyman electrician. He also attended the Second Christian Reformed Church where he noticed Berdina Talen. They enjoyed young people's together for 3-4 years, and after Berdina had turned 20, John asked her father for her hand in marriage. John and Berdina were married a couple months later, on June 26, 1960.

John and Berdina were blessed with four children while living and working in Edmonton and area, enjoying church and regular events with Berdina's family. They moved from Edmonton to Three Hills in the summer of 1976, when John began to work for Prairie Bible Institute, wiring new facilities and maintaining old ones. He became a Master Electrician, so he could sign permits on behalf of the school. He worked extra hard most evenings and weekends for a couple years to build a big new family home. He was a Bible School student for a year as well. John was so proud of each of his children for graduating from High School and then from Bible School and/or SAIT/Okanagan College/U of C, launching into useful careers and starting homes with Christian spouses. After all the children had moved out, in 1989, John and Berdina moved to Penticton, where John built another home, but they stayed for just a couple years because of the heat and because they missed Three Hills. In 1991, they moved back. John built one more house near downtown. John and Berdina were so happy to enjoy their friendships, neighbors, community, and church home – for 25 years in their own home and almost four years together in the Golden Hills Lodge. John and Berdina were married for almost 64 years. John's last 2.5 years were in Westview Care Community in Linden, where Berdina lived just a walk away, so they enjoyed every day together. On March 27, John moved to "the best hospital in Alberta" for his last 12 days, in Three Hills.

As a family, we thank all the amazing people who worked to help our parents. Thank you for making the past eight years some of their very best and some of our very best, as their children and family. Dad ended well. We're so proud of and thankful for him. His last words were "God is so good", and his most repeated instructions were "take good care of your mom" which we are so thankful we get to do. We love you, Dad, and know that you are finally healthy and strong again, hearing and seeing perfectly, and enjoying being in the presence of Jesus and those who have gone before you. We look forward to our next time with you.

Memorial donations may be made to the Bethel Evangelical Missionary Church at 123 4th Ave SE, Three Hills, AB.