Obituary - Rita Hazelaar

Rita Hazelaar, beloved mom, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, went to be with her Lord and those already in heaven on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Rita was born to parents, Lambertus and Alida deJong on November 15, 1934, in Den Haag, Netherlands. She was raised and educated there until immigrating to Canada with her parents and two of her siblings in 1951. The deJongs settled in Medicine Hat where Rita met the love of her life, Henry Hazelaar. They married December 10, 1955, in the Medicine Hat Christian Reformed Church. Rita worked in the porcelain factory until transitioning to homemaker and mom once they started a family of five active children. The family moved to Redcliff in 1963 where Rita and Henry started and operated Hazelaar’s Greenhouses for 18 years. She then worked alongside Henry for seven years as proprietors of Redcliff Clothing. After a short stint of acreage living, they moved to Medicine Hat. Retirement years were filled with fishing, walking with Spot the dog, needlepoint, camping and travelling, especially to warmer climates in the winter. Rita remained a member of Medicine Hat Christian Reformed Church all her life, being involved with Ladies Aid, knitting toques and scarves, bowling and helping in the nursery. A mild stroke and Parkinson’s disease limited Rita’s activities in her last years. Her warmth and humour will be missed by all. Rita is survived by five children: Harvey (Joanne), Robert (Dinah), Marvin, Alan (Jacqueline), Loretta; 14 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; siblings, Cory deJong and Jane Vonk and sister-in-law, Bertha Schollaardt. She was predeceased by her husband, Henry; daughter, Marilyn; grandson, Branden and sisters, Sjaan and Bep of the Netherlands. Although Rita will be greatly missed, we rejoice in knowing she is in the arms of Jesus, reunited and celebrating with loved ones. A Celebration of Rita’s life will be held at the Christian Reformed Church, 300 Primrose Drive S.E., Medicine Hat on Monday, November 28, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor George Koopmans officiating. The service will be live-streamed and can be accessed at medicinehatcrc.org. Private interment will take place at Hillside Cemetery prior to Rita’s Church Celebration. Those wishing to remember Rita may do so by making a donation directly to World Renew at www.worldrenew.ca or to the Parkinson Association of Alberta, 120 - 6835 Railway Street S.E., Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2V6.