Sjoerd Roggeveen

1941 - 2016

Dr. Sjoerd Roggeveen, MD, 74

Dr. Sjoerd Roggeveen, MD, 74 of Brook, Indiana, died peacefully in his home on March 5th, 2016 with his wife, Annelies, and family by his side.

Sjoerd was born to the late Cornelus and Heintje (nee Van Vliet) Roggeveen in Graft, Netherlands on August 17, 1941. He was the second of three children, Joost Roggeveen of Marshfield, Prince Edward Island, and the late Joes Grubert. Due to his father's work, Sjoerd spent his childhood in many parts of the world including the Netherlands, New Guinea and Indonesia. He served three years in the Dutch armed forces as a truck driver stationed in Suriname before immigrating to Canada in 1964. He attended Saint Dunstan's University and continued to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia to complete his MD in 1974.

Sjoerd married Annelies Bondt in 1972. After completing his MD, they moved to Newfoundland for seven years where he served as a doctor to rural and remote communities. In 1981, Sjoerd brought the family to Brook, Indiana. He had a clinic in Kentland, Indiana until 2004 when he moved it to Brook until he retired in 2009. He was affiliated with George Ade Memorial and later with Jasper County Hospital.

Sjoerd enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends. He loved telling humorous stories and sharing his vast, detailed knowledge and life experiences. In his down time, you could find him solving a Sudoku puzzle, writing letters or gardening. In recent years, he especially enjoyed spending time at the Thursday Evening Community Meals at the Brook United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Annelies, his seven children, 13 grandchildren with the 14th expected soon. His children are: Anthony Roggeveen (Shalin: Sofi, Pia, Naia, +one) of Burnaby, British Columbia; Corina Barlow (Al: Elisa, Rachel) of Sarnia, Ontario; Kendra Hoskins (Steve: Trent, Luke) of Beaver City, Indiana;, Rebecca Nabuurs (Darryl: Isabel, Daniel, Adam) of Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island; Selena Wood (Elisabeth, Olivia) of Brook, Indiana; Nora Roggeveen-Sams (Weldon: Kelvin) of Portland, Oregon; and Alexa Roggeveen of Prince George, British Columbia.

A visitation and service will be held at the fellowship hall of the Brook United Methodist Church on March 12th, 2016. The service will be held at 2pm; visitation beginning at 1pm. As a final gift of learning, Sjoerd donated his body to the Indiana University School of Medicine. Once his body is released back to the family, he will be cremated and interred next to his parents and sister on Prince Edward Island.

The family requests that any memorial donations be made to the Thursday Evening Community Meals at the Brook United Methodist Church. Gerts Funeral Home is handling arrangements.