using cheap, effective, and sometimes unorthodox tools. After his retirement, he gradually retreated from the many commitments he was still involved in, and he devoted his time to many issues in the home and the garden, such as woodworking and building compost systems, as well as to the old farm the family had rented in Tuscany for many years. He will always be remembered in his family for his riddles and unexpected funny stories. His and his wife’s positive and constructive way of looking at life has been continued by the generations that followed.

Hans was survived for just over one year by his wife Lies, who died on November 20, 2007, and by his five children (Pieter, Jan Dirk, Annelies, Pauline, and Nanette), nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.