Frits Dumpel, age 91, of Atlanta, Ga. but most recently of Hilton Head Island, S.C., died Sunday, November 4, 2012 in Atlanta, Ga.. Born in 1921 in Djogjakarta, Indonesia, to the late Herman and Louise Sophie (Wouters) Dumpel, Frits lived his youth in Indonesia. Frits then served in the Dutch Army, where he was captured, placed in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp twice. Frits survived these episodes by managing to escape both times. After leaving Indonesia in 1953, Frits and his young family immigrated to The Netherlands. His middle years were spent in the Netherlands and then with his wife "Puck" and their children (under the sponsorship of the First Presbyterian Church of Princeton, (now known as Nassau Presbyterian Church) immigrated to the United States in 1960.
Throughout this time for Frits, tennis was a major passion, which opened the door to many cultural opportunities not available otherwise to him or his family. After working through various jobs his final career was as a programmer analyst for The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., in Hightstown, New Jersey.
It was in retirement that Frits found some of his greatest pleasure. Frits was an avid tennis player and attained a national USTA ranking of 13 in the 55 and over category in the 1970s and had been a nationally ranked tennis player for over 45 years. Frits was very proud to play in the Grandfather/Grandson National USTA Tournament in Brookline, Mass. multiple times, with his grandson, Dan, who is now a teaching tennis pro. He traveled around the country to play in tennis tournaments and around the world to watch them. Some of his favorite memories were traveling to the Australian Open multiple times. Also, he thrived as a modern day gypsy living and traveling with his second wife Fran, in a large motor home driving to participate in the warm up and national tournaments in his various age groups.
The greatest pleasure of Frits' life was the births of all of his six grandchildren. It was with great pride and pleasure, he enjoyed attending all of their graduations, weddings, tennis tournaments, concerts, performances and more; watching them all grow into the wonderful successful adults that they have all become! For Frits however, his greatest joy in life was when his great-grandchildren were born; first the twin girls, Danyelle and Devyn in 2005, then in 2009 his great-grandson Dylan for which he proclaimed, "the Dumpel name will go on!"
Frits was the husband (of 43 years) to the late Ferdinanda Elize ("Puck") van Casand Dumpel, and brother of the late Noes Dumpel. He is survived by two children, his son; Pieter Dumpel and his wife Linda of Mercerville, N.J. and his daughter. Erica Dumpel and her husband Gary Czajkowski of Peachtree Corners, Ga.; his grandchildren, David Dumpel (his wife Diana) of Easton, Pa., Dan Dumpel (Jamie Greenwald) of New York City, N.Y. and Dianna Hochella (her husband Justin) of Livonia, Mich., John Czajkowski, Peter Czajkowski, and Lee Anna Czajkowski, all of Peachtree Corners, Ga.; and his great-grandchildren, Danyelle, Devyn and Dylan Dumpel of Easton, Pa. Frits is also survived by his second wife; Frances Murray (Lyle) Dumpel of Hilton Head, S.C., her four sons and their families (from her first marriage) residing in Murray, Ky., Hilton Head, S.C., and Atlanta, Ga.
At the convenience of the family, there will be Memorial Celebration of Life services held at a later date, in Princeton, N.J. and Hilton Head, S.C. Notifications of these services will be published at that time. Arrangements by H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, Sandy Springs, Ga.