Pieter, who was born in The Netherlands in 1955, was the youngest of 4 and the only boy. His sisters were 4, 5 and 6 years older. Sometimes they would tease him but that never stopped him respecting the ladies over the men throughout his life. In his later teenage years and into his early twenties he met several young women which contributed to his path for finding THE one for him. He met Johanna 2 weeks before his 23rd birthday and a few weeks later he told his best friend, who was 3 years older, that he had found his future wife and he was going to marry her. His friend laughed and said “sure Pieter” but did not believe one word. He married her in December of 1979.

He held honesty, respect and truth in high regard even if it was sometimes not what the other party wanted to hear. This honesty was very much appreciated when he began his career in his early twenties at a limestone brick plant in Belgium as a sales rep. Being a Dutch young sales rep in Belgium required some extraordinary skills to succeed. His honesty, interest in other people, determination and being truthful made that possible. A few years later he was promoted to sales manager. This job by far gave him the most pleasure throughout his career and he never stopped talking about it. The Dutch Headquarters of all the brick plants gave him an exceptional medal for his commitment and achievements in Belgium in this industry. A huge honor. He loved jobs in sales, marketing and management. They gave him the opportunity to meet interesting people. So up until he was diagnosed with IPF, at the age of 54, he worked in those fields.

Pieter is a man who saw the sun shining every day and loved life and family. He liked to make a little joke now and then to see a smile appear on your face. In the winter of 2009, just about a week or 2 before Christmas, a doctor told him he had IPF. This news made his blue sky turn gray and he struggled for over a year. He read and researched whatever he could get his hands on and Doctor Nathan of the transplant department of Inova Hospital was a big support. After that year, little sunbeams were coming through and he decided he needed to do something for all the IPF patients out there. He created a website for them with a more positive note than all the doom and gloom that he found doing his research. Doing this helped him tremendously and the real positive Pieter was back with sunshine every day. At age 56 he decided to devote the rest of his life trying to help IPF patients. He became involved together with Jane, the social worker at Inova, who was organizing 2 events per year until she met Pieter. She and him started organizing the monthly support group meeting that later developed into an additional patient education full day event every two years. Something he loved organizing with her and seeing so many patients on those days. It all came crumbling down when Covid hit in 2020 and he got a new lung on March 8. Covid changed the world, and the transplant changed Pieter due to the many drugs. It took about a year when the real Pieter resurfaced and tried to get the monthly support group going again to no avail. An irritation that kept lingering up until the moment he was diagnosed in November 2024 with lung cancer. It already had spread and not much could be done. Somehow, he picked himself up a few days later and would start fighting for his life again. A fight he lost in an awful way he did not deserve.

Pieter loved soccer that he picked up at a very young age. He flourished and excelled in it during his teenage years. You could find him on the soccer field all through middle and high school almost every day. This love for soccer helped him during the bad days watching it on TV. Especially the English soccer games gave him joy. When his 2 sons became interested in Formula 1 racing, they would come to him on Sundays when the race was scheduled during daytime hours and they had a great time watching this over the decades. A new warm and deeper bond between a great dad and his 2 grown sons.

We will miss you.

A celebration of his life will be held on May 30 at 11:00 at Omps Funeral Home in
Winchester. Please call Johanna (703-862-0621) if you like to come.
No dress code but also no black or gray. No flowers.

Donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148