Reinier Vanderpot

Reinier "Rein" Vanderpot passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 15, 2026 in Tucson, AZ with his wife Kristin by his side. He was 76.

Rein loved life. His presence will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him.

Rein's adventures leaving Holland brought him to Crete, a place Rein holds special in his heart for the music and the culture. He met Deb Addis in Crete, and they biked together all over the island and also along the Nile River in Egypt.

Rein and Deb married, eventually moving to Tucson, Arizona where Deb's brother lives. Rein liked Tucson because of the sunshine and the plants. The two continued taking long bike trips around the Southwest.

In Tucson, Rein began his 40 year career as an archaeologist. He was a Principal Investigator with Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI) when he retired fully with an MDS diagnosis in July 2023.

Rein formed many meaningful relationships in Arizona and in the Southwest under the umbrella of archaeology.

For many years Rein would pack up his truck with a kayak and camp in Baja, Mexico. His passion for succulent trees from the Burseraceae family really started with these trips.

Rein's love and knowledge of country music, from regional private labels, to mainstream traditional country music is exceptional. The past few years he kept busy writing about country gems from small private labels, discovering more of the USA in the process.

Rein's first visit to Door County was in 2008. He and Kristin found some kayaks, tossed them into a large Pontiac convertible, and camped on Rock Island.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Johan van der Pot and Jannetje (nee Bouwman) van der Pot; and his brother, Hans van der Pot.

Rein will be missed by his wife, Kristin Pollock of Tucson, AZ; and sister, Pauline van der Pot of Naarden, Holland.

There will be a memorial for Rein in Tucson, AZ at a later date.

A private gathering will be held at Casperson Funeral Home in Sister Bay, WI on Monday, March 2, 2026. Rein will be laid to rest in Little Sister Cemetery in the Town of Liberty Grove where he wished to be buried. "Thank you Erik Huehns for your kind help in making this happen."

Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Rein may be shared through his tribute page at www.CaspersonFuneralHome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Reinier Vanderpot, please visit our floral store.