Obituary of Lukas Christiaan Groeneveld

January 15, 1975 – Rotterdam, Netherlands
December 14, 2023 - Calgary, Alberta

Luke Groeneveld, beloved husband of Rachel Groeneveld, of Calgary, Alberta, passed away on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the age of 48 years after a long journey with cancer.

Luke’s life was shorter than we wanted but it was a good life, and we were blessed to have him in our lives. He was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to Johannes and Antonia (Smit) Groeneveld, and a brother to Jan. He was a builder and problem solver at heart and his best memories involved childhood projects and working with his family on extensive renovations to their property, as well as camping and hiking in Switzerland. When he was a young adult, he traveled extensively through Canada, and after working in Calgary and meeting Rachel (Stolte), he made the move permanent. Luke married Rachel in April 2003, and together they had three children, Naylis (18), Skyler (16), and Allie (12). 

Luke pursued his passion for building and problem-solving through his work at RJC as a structural engineer and also by constantly working on projects at home and on his property in Westcott. He loved it most when his projects served the community, whether it was working on buildings at the Calgary Zoo, growing garlic, or selling chicken eggs. Luke was a fantastic father; his priority was always to teach his kids everything they needed to know and take care of those he loved. This became especially important to him in the last five years after he was diagnosed with thymoma. These years were difficult and also cherished - he struggled most with feeling unproductive but usually had a project of some kind on the go anyway and always looked for ways to be helpful. 

His faith, always important to him, became more real and gave him the hope of a life without suffering and disease and the assurance that until that time, we are held and sustained by our Creator.  

Funeral Services will be held at River Park Church, (3818 14a St SW, Calgary, AB T2T 3Y2) on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Reception to follow at the church. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Luke’s service streamed live on the day of the service by Zoom at https://riverparkchurch.com/ . A private family burial will follow the ceremony.  

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Luke's family here.

If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Radiance Family Society (formerly Sonshine), https://radiancesociety.ca/, or a blood donation to the Canadian Blood Services. 

In living memory of Luke Groeneveld, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.