Rients van der Woude

RIENTS VAN DER

WOUDE, MD

Reints van der Woude, MD, died peacefully at home on March 19, 2010, at the age of 86 after a prolonged illness.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqui; his former wife and mother of his children, San; his children: Winnie Hennessy, Rients Paul van der Woude and Thomas Bastian van der Woude, as well as his step-children, Sarah Duggan Thomas and Matthew Duggan. He has five grandchildren: Brianna Hennessy, Leona van der Woude, Jaden and Lucca van der Woude, and Benjamin Thomas.

Rients was born in Holland and during WWII was a member of the Dutch Underground, when he was captured and imprisoned by the German occupying force. He completed medical school after the War and came to the USA for his internship and subsequent residencies at Hackensack Hospital, New Jersey and Lenox Hill Hospital, New York. He was a research fellow and instructor in thoracic surgery at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Following his fellowship he was invited to initiate the open heart surgery program at Lenox Hill Hospital in 1960. In 1970 he relocated to Cornwall, New York, where he was chief attending thoracic surgeon at Cornwall Hospital and St. Lukes Hospital, Newburgh. He served as Chief of Surgery and President of the Medical Staff at St. Lukes Hospital. Following his retirement to North Carolina in 1994 he worked as an Emergency Physician at Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville and then at the Naval Hospital aboard Camp LeJeune. When that assignment ended, he became Medical Director of New Hanover Treatment Center in Wilmington, where he felt he could make a difference in the lives of clinic patients. He held that position until he was sidelined by major heart surgery in 2006, which forced his final retirement. He was an avid tennis player, horseback rider, skier and sailor. He did not play golf until he moved to North Carolina at the age of 70 and although he never achieved his goal of shooting his age on the golf course, he loved the game. He was an intellectual, a sportsman and a gentleman and he will be sorely missed by his family. Cremation will be private and at Rients' request there will be no funeral. The family extends thanks to Andre Leonard, MD at IntraCoastal Internal Medicine and the staff of Continuum Home Care and Hospice for their kindness over the last months.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com

Andrews Hampstead Chapel



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