If you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.
-Fred Rogers
Nico was born in Kitchener, Ontario. He grew up in Calgary and then Caroline, Alberta until he returned to Calgary after high school and where he remained until his passing. From a young age Nico had the courage to be fully himself. Nico lost his life to a fierce struggle with mental illness. We are so proud of him and how hard he tried to stay with us and his many friends.
Nico had a passion for life and for people. He lived life to the very fullest and touched the lives of many while he was with us. He considered many people family, including those at the places he worked; Commonwealth, Home and Away, and Chiki Menya. His love for dance and music led him to develop talents and friendships as a Hip Hop dancer with The Tomorrowz and subsequently as a dance instructor and choreographer. He had a wonderful dance community at Move Yourself Dance in Sundre and Olds and loved to inspire his students and share his energy and sense of humour as Mr. Nico. Nico, aka Techneeks, also loved teaching boxing for UNDRCARD Boxing studio where his musicality and fitness made him a valued instructor. He considered his friends in these endeavours, family. We are so thankful for his families.
Nico had a wide variety of interests. He learned to fly and was on his way to his pilot’s license, but his diagnosis precluded that aim. He loved animals, especially horses and horseback riding, and was quite the ‘horse whisperer’ He was a good athlete. Even as a kid he was one of the better players on the field. As he grew older, he took to faster paced sports like basketball and boxing. He liked variety so he mixed it up with snowboarding, skating, biking, parkour, and archery. Whatever struck his fancy, he went at it with gusto. A 100-plus km bike ride comes to mind. On a fixed gear bike. In the foothills. He must have had thighs of steel. Nico and his friend Fernando, aka the Rari Boyz (“Like the Hardy Boys but way more lit”) went on many adventures. He played a mean guitar and piano and had a beautiful voice. He composed his own pieces as well and his body seemed to feel and move effortlessly with music. We are fortunate enough to have the videos he shared to keep us close. He was a kind and compassionate human being and a lot of fun.
Many people are left to mourn his loss. In addition to his many friends, Nico leaves his loving parents, Rudy Gelderblom and Tracy Orr, and sister Anneke, his aunt and uncle, Barry and Terry, and cousins Kate and Jake. Nico is predeceased by his much-loved cousin, Michael.
So, in addition to our mourning, let us dance, sing, be funny, laugh, and be friends for one another as Nico would want us to. Let his energy and light inspire us to make the most of every day.
With the permission of its creator, Sam Lee, we are sharing a link to a memorial video so that we may share some of Nico’s life and music with you: drive.google.com/file/d/1bQE5x63m_91CHC0QyAnqvuKrBxIDHkb-/view
In lieu of cards and flowers we invite you to donate to The Canadian Mental Health Association (Discovery fund) in Nico’s honour.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Nicolaas Alexander Gelderblom October 29th 2020..
Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services
Décès pour la Ville: Airdrie, Province: Alberta