Arie de Jong

Local entrepreneur and business leader, Arie de Jong, died on April 6, 2023. He was 84 years old.
Arie was born to Arie and Maartje de Jong in Alphen aan de Rijn, the Netherlands, on January 24, 1939. He was the youngest of 7 brothers, between an older sister and two younger sisters. He enjoyed a very close relationship with his siblings, particularly his sister Ellie. In 1949, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Poway CA where they worked in the dairy industry. Through much hard work and cooperation, the family established Hollandia Dairy, which remains in business in San Marcos today.
Arie attended school in Poway until his 16th birthday, when he went to work full-time. In 1956, Arie and his brother Karel joined the US Army and served for two years as medics in post-war Germany. In 1958 he went back to Hollandia Dairy, working in whatever capacity was required.
In 1961, he met a sweet Dutch girl named Anneke. They were married in 1964 and settled in San Marcos CA, where Arie drove a milk delivery route for Hollandia. Arie and Anneke welcomed their first son, Arie Eric in 1966 and a second son, Johnnie in 1969. Two daughters, Dorinda and Serena, followed in 1971 and 1973.
In 1976 Arie decided to leave Hollandia Dairy and strike out on his own. He started North County Disposal, and after purchasing a struggling trash company at an auction, he established Coast Waste Management in Carlsbad, CA. Years of long hours and hard work followed as he turned the refuse company into a successful business. Along the way he acquired one of his favorite ventures, Standard Feeding, a food waste recycling hog ranch in Chino, CA. In 1997, he sold the thriving Coast Waste to USA Waste, sharing the profit with his employees.
He then turned his attention to developing real estate. Always a risk taker, over the years he had purchased many pieces of undeveloped property. A notorious rule breaker, his favorite motto was to "ask for forgiveness, not permission," which often got him into trouble with county and city officials.
In the early 2000s he restored Melrose Ranch in Valley Center, where he and Anneke lived for 15 years before retiring to Meadowbrook in Escondido in 2016. He was at his happiest with multiple projects in the works and continued to work on developing properties until the very end of his life.
Arie had an unforgettable, vibrant personality. He didn't know a stranger and had a story or song for every occasion. Many people bear witness to his generosity, particularly with his philanthropy work at Green Oak Ranch, a center that serves those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. He was a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club and enjoyed the relationships he developed there. He attended Crossroads Christian Reformed Church in San Marcos. Arie was well loved by his grandchildren who all remember many fun times with their Opa. He lived his life to the fullest and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Arie is survived by his devoted wife of 58 years, Anneke, his children Eric (Silva) de Jong, Johnnie (Anneke) de Jong, Dorinda de Jong, Serena (Mike) Carlson, 14 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter; as well as his brother Teun (Hinke) de Jong, and his sisters Ellie Griffioen, Jet Gailey and Mary (Richard) Westra and sisters-in-law Helia de Jong, Dita de Jong, Shirley de Jong, and Willy de Jong.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Green Oak Ranch Ministries,1237 Green Oak Rd, Vista, CA 92081 or the Kiwanis Club of Escondido-Hidden Valley Foundation, PO Box 461471, Escondido, CA 92046.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, April 21 at 11:00 am at Green Oak Ranch, 1237 Green Oak Rd, Vista, CA 92081.