Albertina “Skip” Vanderveen Walker, 87, of Bozeman, MT, passed away peacefully at the Cottage at Highgate on February 21, 2020, after battling dementia for many years. She was born in Prospect Park, NJ, on March 20, 1932, the daughter of William and Lena (Raap) Vanderveen. A resident of Bozeman for the last six years, she previously lived in Pleasant Valley and Washingtonville, NY. Skip married Richard “Dick” Walker on July 11, 1953, in Washington, NJ. He predeceased her on June 11, 2019.
Skip graduated from Washington (NJ) High School and earned a Certificate from Rutgers University. She and Dick lived in Rochester, NH, and Malone, NY, before relocating to Washingtonville where they resided and raised their family. After Dick retired, they moved to Pleasant Valley where they lived for 17 years before moving to Bozeman. Skip enjoyed gardening, baking, travel, animals, and most of all spending time with her extended family. She was known and loved for her baked goods, sage advice, sledding expertise, childcare, and friendly punches to the arm by so many friends and family.
Skip is survived by her son, Bill Walker (Nicol Rae) of Bozeman; daughters, Edie (Kevin) Cardiff of Las Vegas, NV, and Missy (Wayne) Sauer of Salt Point, NY; three grandchildren, Michael (Gwyn Hughes) Cardiff of Madison, WI, Molly Sauer (David Smedick) of Baltimore, MD, and Carrie (Michael) Long of Philadelphia, PA; and one great-grandson, Brenyn Cardiff of Madison, WI. Also surviving are her brothers and sister and their spouses, John (Tina) Vanderveen of Pleasanton, CA, Peter (Bonnie) Vanderveen of Estes Park, CO, George (Alice) Vanderveen of Ingram, TX, and Edith (Wayne) Martin of Berwick, PA; her sisters-in-law, Meraline (Wesley) Chandler of Deltona, FL, and Priscilla Walker of Rutland, VT; and numerous nieces and nephews. Skip was also predeceased by her parents and an infant sister, Edith Wristers Vanderveen.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful staff members at Highgate, Aspen Pointe, and especially the Cottage at Highgate who ensured that Mom had a full life while living with dementia. We would also like to thank Bozeman Health Hospice for their unending support during her final days.
A memorial service for family and friends will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
