Eveline Adelheid Boysen
Apr. 5, 1940 – Dec. 12, 2024
It is with sadness that our family announces the passing of Eveline Boysen.
Born in what was to become East Berlin, Germany, Eveline’s family fled the post war turbulence and eventually settled in Canada where they made their home in Vancouver in 1955. Eveline completed her high school education at Britannia Secondary School.
It was in Stanley Park that Eveline met her first husband, Herbert Kettenacker. They married and were blessed with four children: two daughters and two sons. In 1974, Eveline began her rewarding career with the Vancouver Public Library, a position she loved and excelled in.
In 1991, Eveline met her second husband, Dirk Boysen and they married on Salt Spring Island. Together, they retired to Gabriola and embraced the beautiful mix of the island’s community. Eveline cherished the friendships made and the abundant diverse activities Gabriola Island provided. Eveline became an expert basket weaver with her colleagues in the “Basket Cases,” proudly maintained a magnificent garden often show cased in Gabriola’s Garden Tour, and developed her travel language skills through the island’s Spanish group. A passionate cook who delighted in preparing delicious meals for gatherings, Eveline cherished her time with neighbours, friends and family. The island also maintained organizations that allowed Eveline to advocate for two extremely important missions close to her heart. Eveline found profound joy and purpose in her volunteer work with Amnesty International Canada and strived to better the lives of animals.
Eveline is survived by her brother, Franz (Sachie), her four children: Karen, Arnold (Maureen), Colin, Jennifer (Rick), and step-children Mark (Miriam) and Brigit (Luis), as well as her beloved grandchildren: Kia, Nadege, Cole, Natalie, Zachary, Gabriela, Kai, Marcos, Nicolas and her great-granddaughter, Ivy Mae. She was predeceased by her parents, Albert and Margaret Harpain, husbands Herbert Kettenacker and Dirk Boysen, and her grandson Matthew.
A celebration of Eveline’s life will take place on Gabriola Island in 2025, followed by a living reef burial. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Amnesty International Canada.
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