Obituary
Nick passed away peacefully on May 4, 2021. He is survived by Patricia, his wife of 39 years; daughters Kelly Van Regen, Erin Standen (Greg), and Tiffany Shaw; son Marcus Van Regen (Monica); and sister Jenny Roots (Frank Reeves). Nick is also survived by his grandchildren Ada, Jasper, and Aurora, along with his grand-dog Hurley.
Nick was born in England and came to Canada as a young boy, living in Ontario then later moving to Alberta. He attended SAIT earning his Petroleum Engineering diploma, followed by his Petroleum Engineering degree at the University of Wyoming.
His professional life was his passion, he worked in Alberta initially, then getting the opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia to work to work with Aramco, where his eldest daughter was born. He returned to Canada later working with Canterra. It was at Canterra where he connected with the love of his life Patricia, as he helped her plan one of the ever famous “Feast” theme parties. With the downsizing in the local petroleum industry he took his talents to overseas postings, working in multiple countries around the world including the Congo, China, Australia, Portugal the UK, and Indonesia to name a few.
In 1988, he built “his happy place” in Windermere, B.C. It was a labour of love, and with a crew of 13 friends and family (some which were talented tradespeople and foremen), they had the house locked up in less than a week. He was overjoyed to get there, to sit on the deck surveying his little world.
The neighbourhood children knew him as an avid storyteller, who would lead baseball games in the backyard, and loved flipping his children and their friends off the tube while driving the boat on the lake. He was also beloved to many neighbourhood dogs who knew he always kept treats in his vest pocket. Nick loved boasting about being the first member of the Dutch Creek (Coy’s) Golf Course and enjoyed golfing at courses through the valley including Radium Resort where he and Patricia held memberships with friends for many years. He loved to fish, usually catching fish that weren’t worth eating but the occasional rainbow trout brought a big smile to his face. Many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, neighbourhood kids and his children’s friends under his watchful eye, and his fishing boat aptly named Boaty McBoatface, will all miss him I’m sure.
While Nick was certainly a grumpy old man, there was certainly a big heart under there – and more than anything, he was our grump, who somewhat hilariously went by Grumpa to his grandchildren. He lived a long life, surviving his father (William), his mother (Joyce) , and his sister (Carol). He went through much adversity through his youth but grew to become a successful engineer and family man. Behind he leaves a family that will miss him dearly in addition to many, many family members, friends, former colleagues, and anyone fortunate enough to meet him, to hear him tell a story, or ask a question that he was keen to answer.
The family thanks the wonderful nurses and doctors from Unit 47 at the Foothills Hospital for the excellent care. If friends desire, donations could be made to the Calgary Prostate Center, where Nick received outstanding care.
A private family gathering will be held at a later date.
To send sympathy gifts to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nickolas Charles Roots Van Regen, please visit our tribute store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Nickolas Charles Roots Van Regen December 13 1945 May 4 2021 (age 75)..
Décès pour la Ville: Calgary, Province: Alberta