Obituary for Maarten De Vries
Maarten Louis de Vries, 91, Franklin Lakes, NJ, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, February 11, 2021.
Maarten was born December 9, 1929, in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, the son of Maarten Johan de Vries and Jenny Catherine Sarimine Reijckers, Den Haag, Netherlands (NL), who both preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, D. Engelien A. (Boesveld; Doetinchem, NL) and their child Helma G.E. (Sarah Jordan) de Vries-Jordan, Olean, NY; they were married on March 6, 1976 in Libertyville, IL; his three children M. Peter (Joy Israel) de Vries, Delmar, NY, Jacqueline P. (Kenneth Sacelaris) de Vries, Mahwah, NJ, and Stephen J. (Deborah Smith) de Vries, Evans City, PA from his first wife, Marijke (Schepman; Helmond, NL); they were married on Sept. 28, 1957 in Haarlem, NL; eight grandchildren, Elco de Vries-Jordan, Olean, NY; Nicholas P. (Alison Brockett) de Vries, Saratoga Springs, NY; Mary P. de Vries, Albany, NY; Christopher D. Sacelaris, Mahwah, NJ; Jonathan D. Sacelaris, Wilmington, DE; Matthew A. de Vries, Pittsburgh, PA; Colin R. de Vries, Evans City, PA; and Caitlin N. de Vries, West Liberty, WV.
Maarten is also survived by two sisters, Jenny J. (Louis) Janssen, Den Haag, NL; Iris I. (Bert) Heemskerk, Puttershoek, NL; and one brother, Egbert de Vries, Amsterdam, NL; and many nieces, nephews and cousins; and one sister, Marijke E. (Robert J.) den Hartog, Borculo, NL, who preceded him in death.
Maarten grew up in Indonesia, the Dutch East Indies. His father, from Oldenzaal, NL, was engineer at OGEM gas manufacturing plants in cities Semarang, Central Java and Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. In February 1942, the Japanese invaded Sumatra and the WW2 Japanese Occupation began. From 14 Apr 1942 to 29 Sep 1945, Maarten's family was separated and imprisoned, Maarten lived in concentration camps (Serdang wijk, Tandjong Moerawa, Poeloe Brayan D & A, Medan’s Warenhuis, Belawan Estate, and Si Rengo Rengo) and subsisted on one cup of rice per day. After the War, the family was re-united and moved to The Hague, Holland where he attended Dutch schools.
Maarten received a BS in tropical agriculture science, Deventer, NL, MS in agronomy from Univ. of Maryland, and PhD in soil science from Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison. This led to a 40-year international career in product registration and application of agricultural and consumer chemicals at numerous firms (Shell Development, Geigy, Union Carbide, Olin Mathieson, American Cyanamid, Abbott Labs, Penick, CPC, Roussell Bio Uclaf, AgrEvo, and Bayer Corporation). His work took him around the world, he served as a task force treasurer at the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association and was elected and served on the Franklin Lakes School Board from 1972-74. He is a member of the Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church.
Maarten was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend and he will be greatly missed by all whose lives were touched by him. He enjoyed playing the piano, oil painting, photography, stamp and coin collecting, gardening, family travel, flea markets, classical records and opera, and live music of almost any genre.
The family will have a private service and interment at the Wyckoff Reformed Church Cemetery, Wyckoff, NJ. Officiating will be the Rev. JongIn Lee, pastor of Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church. Funeral arrangements by the Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home in Franklin Lakes.
Memorials may be made to Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer's Association.
The de Vries family would like to express special thanks to the staff and caregivers of Eddy Memory Care at Eddy Hawthorne Ridge in East Greenbush, NY, for the loving care and comfort they gave Maarten, especially during the first year of the Covid-19 quarantine.
Maarten was born December 9, 1929, in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, the son of Maarten Johan de Vries and Jenny Catherine Sarimine Reijckers, Den Haag, Netherlands (NL), who both preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, D. Engelien A. (Boesveld; Doetinchem, NL) and their child Helma G.E. (Sarah Jordan) de Vries-Jordan, Olean, NY; they were married on March 6, 1976 in Libertyville, IL; his three children M. Peter (Joy Israel) de Vries, Delmar, NY, Jacqueline P. (Kenneth Sacelaris) de Vries, Mahwah, NJ, and Stephen J. (Deborah Smith) de Vries, Evans City, PA from his first wife, Marijke (Schepman; Helmond, NL); they were married on Sept. 28, 1957 in Haarlem, NL; eight grandchildren, Elco de Vries-Jordan, Olean, NY; Nicholas P. (Alison Brockett) de Vries, Saratoga Springs, NY; Mary P. de Vries, Albany, NY; Christopher D. Sacelaris, Mahwah, NJ; Jonathan D. Sacelaris, Wilmington, DE; Matthew A. de Vries, Pittsburgh, PA; Colin R. de Vries, Evans City, PA; and Caitlin N. de Vries, West Liberty, WV.
Maarten is also survived by two sisters, Jenny J. (Louis) Janssen, Den Haag, NL; Iris I. (Bert) Heemskerk, Puttershoek, NL; and one brother, Egbert de Vries, Amsterdam, NL; and many nieces, nephews and cousins; and one sister, Marijke E. (Robert J.) den Hartog, Borculo, NL, who preceded him in death.
Maarten grew up in Indonesia, the Dutch East Indies. His father, from Oldenzaal, NL, was engineer at OGEM gas manufacturing plants in cities Semarang, Central Java and Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. In February 1942, the Japanese invaded Sumatra and the WW2 Japanese Occupation began. From 14 Apr 1942 to 29 Sep 1945, Maarten's family was separated and imprisoned, Maarten lived in concentration camps (Serdang wijk, Tandjong Moerawa, Poeloe Brayan D & A, Medan’s Warenhuis, Belawan Estate, and Si Rengo Rengo) and subsisted on one cup of rice per day. After the War, the family was re-united and moved to The Hague, Holland where he attended Dutch schools.
Maarten received a BS in tropical agriculture science, Deventer, NL, MS in agronomy from Univ. of Maryland, and PhD in soil science from Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison. This led to a 40-year international career in product registration and application of agricultural and consumer chemicals at numerous firms (Shell Development, Geigy, Union Carbide, Olin Mathieson, American Cyanamid, Abbott Labs, Penick, CPC, Roussell Bio Uclaf, AgrEvo, and Bayer Corporation). His work took him around the world, he served as a task force treasurer at the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association and was elected and served on the Franklin Lakes School Board from 1972-74. He is a member of the Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church.
Maarten was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend and he will be greatly missed by all whose lives were touched by him. He enjoyed playing the piano, oil painting, photography, stamp and coin collecting, gardening, family travel, flea markets, classical records and opera, and live music of almost any genre.
The family will have a private service and interment at the Wyckoff Reformed Church Cemetery, Wyckoff, NJ. Officiating will be the Rev. JongIn Lee, pastor of Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church. Funeral arrangements by the Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home in Franklin Lakes.
Memorials may be made to Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer's Association.
The de Vries family would like to express special thanks to the staff and caregivers of Eddy Memory Care at Eddy Hawthorne Ridge in East Greenbush, NY, for the loving care and comfort they gave Maarten, especially during the first year of the Covid-19 quarantine.