Birgit Frederica Lenderink

In the early morning hours of November 3, 2024, beloved sister and friend, Birgit Frederica Lenderink, died of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. She was 63 years old. Her loyal friend and roommate Cecilia Perez Guardado was by her side. Born on February 2nd, 1961, in Willemstad, Curacao, to Jan and Angela Lenderink, she is survived by her three sisters, Cherry Lenderink, Amanda Burnyeat, and Annabelle Lenderink, and nieces and nephews Kiki Ansingh, Ollie Ansingh, Alastair Moir, and Max Moir.

Birgit led an amazing life. Having studied at Tulane in New Orleans and Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, she was a life-long learner and Buddhist practitioner. Birgit was also a skilled photographer, having apprenticed with Walter Chappel before studying Book Arts at Naropa. A meditation student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche of the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, her creativity and inventiveness were ever-present. A truly genuine human being, Birgit always spoke her truth and followed any dream she felt worthwhile. She was unafraid. After her time in Boulder, Birgit spent time in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Barnet Vermont, and Seattle Washington where she pursued a career as a journeyman carpenter. In 2009, Birgit moved to San Jose, Costa Rica, to care for her ailing mother for the next thirteen years, where she spent the remainder of her life. During this time, Birgit started a women's co-op to manufacture a passive cooking device and perform educational outreach. Having contributed to her community, family, and friends in ways that are difficult to fully describe, Birgit's generosity was immeasurable. She was a true humanitarian.

Please share your wonderful stories about Birgit in the Guestbook here. We would love to hear from all of you. No story is too big or too small. Just like Birgit.