Gijsbertus Koolemans Beynen

Bert, Gijs to his Dutch friends and family, passed away peacefully at home on January 29, 2026 at age 90.

Gijsbertus Johannes Willem Koolemans-Beijnen V, was born in 1935, in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies in the days before their independence from the Netherlands. His father managed a plantation whose products included the bird’s nests for bird’s nest soup. The islands were invaded by the Japanese in World War II resulting in all the Dutch nationals being put in concentration camps for the long duration of the war. Gijs was sent with his mother and sister to the women and children’s camp, his father to the men’s camp. Those camps played a background role in many of the stories Bert told through his life, sometimes to encourage the grandchildren to eat their dinner, because “let me tell you what we ate in the camps…” Against all odds, all four of them survived the war.

Like all the Dutch, Bert’s family returned to the Netherlands in the years after Indonesian independence, coming home to a country much scarred and living with the trauma of the Nazi occupation. Life was difficult for everyone, but the orderliness of Dutch life eventually prevailed, with housing and school issues solved. Bert grew up, qualifying for the elite Gymnasium in Utrecht, and Leiden University, where he completed degrees in law and Slavic languages.

Onward to a fellowship to study in the US at Stanford University for his PhD in Slavic Linguistics. That completed, he embarked on an academic career that included Emporia State University in Kansas, Fordham in the Bronx, University of Rochester, Ohio State, University of South Africa, Iowa State, and a few others for extra credit. A high point was studying in Moscow for a year on a State Department Exchange during the Cold War. Another was living in South Africa during the dismantling of the apartheid laws. During these academic adventures he took up running, competing in marathons on three continents.

The depth and richness of Bert’s ninety years can only be hinted at here.

He leaves his beloveds to retell his many stories: his wife of 43 years, Patricia; five children, Johanna, Margaret, Alexander, Sophia, and Andrew, one stepdaughter, Elisabeth, and fifteen grandchildren, each one with fabulous tales of their own. He is also survived by his very clever younger sister, Froukje Koolemans-Beynen, MD.

The Memorial Service will be held at Germantown Mennonite Church on February 14, 2026 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to World Central Kitchen in memory of Bert’s lifelong compassion for those struggling with food insufficiencies. https://donate.wck.org/campaign/749360/donate?c_src=2026-site-navbar&_gl=1*f56kjd*_gcl_au*MTI4ODMzNjI2Ni4xNzY5ODcwMDk3*_ga*MTY1MDAyNDIwMC4xNzY5ODcwMDk3*_ga_5WKVY8503C*czE3Njk4NzAwOTYkbzEkZzAkdDE3Njk4NzAwOTYkajYwJGwwJGgw