Hendrik Nicolaas Smit

Hendrik Nicolaas Smit set sail on his last voyage on September 30, 2024. He was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on February 20, 1927. During the German occupation he was a member of the resistance movement. He received a B.S of engineering at the technical college of Dordrecht. After two years of military service, he received his commission. In 1952 Hendrik received a Fulbright scholarship to study in de U.S. and in 1954 he received his MBA from the Wharton School of the U. of Pennsylvania. Upon his return to the Netherlands, he joined Royal McBee typewriters as production superintendent of a small plant. During that period, he met and married Mieke van Waveren, who had also been a student in the U.S. In 1959 the couple emigrated to the U.S. and became U.S. citizens in 1964. By then they had three children. It did not take long or Remington Rand, his employer at that time, sent him to Brussels to manage their Belgian operation. From then on, his entire business career took place in Europe. In 1982 he retired from Skil Corp (Power tools) as President European Operations. Subsequently he was invited to fill a position in the Senior Foreign Service. As Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, he represented U.S interests in Belgium at the U.S Embassy. Since he spoke fluent Dutch and French his talents were of multiple use. When this five-year assignment was finished, he worked as an interim manager in Holland, Belgium, France, Latvia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. "Luck is Preparation Meeting Opportunity" Was always his motto in 1999 it was time to retire and Hendrik and Mieke returned to the U.S. Having fallen in love with Hilton Head Island six years earlier, they decided to become residents of Tide Pointe and realize their dream of seeing the world. They had ten years of expedition travel and explored such places as New Guinea, Peru, Chile and the Atacama dessert. Antarctica, the Black Sea, Mongolia, and many more. In the meantime, they also found the island a welcoming place and they soon found their niche in the community. Rotary was one of Hendrik's favorite organizations and in the end, he totaled about 60 years of membership in different parts of the world. He and Mieke were ardent music lovers, and they became involved in the HH International piano competition, hosting a contestant every year. He enjoyed the concerts by the HH Symphony and when Sound Waves opened its doors, he found it a wonderful venue. He loved those dinner/concerts. But the story of his life would not be complete without mentioning the love he had for his family. From the day they were born he was planning things for them to do, to learn, and to see. He was an expert in organizing and our memories of him will always be about a trip we took, a reunion he planned, a unique gift he discovered or a trick he pulled. Even his two great- grandsons will always remember him for the jokes he made and the hotdogs he introduced them to. His sense of humor (sometimes notorious) and his smile set him apart from almost everyone else. Even when his health was failing, he would always surprise us with yet another twinkle of the eye. He will be missed by his family: his wife Mieke, his sons Nick and his wife Antoinette, his son Peter and his wife Liz, his daughter Kristen and her husband Bruno, his four grandchildren, Joy, Patrick, Emeline and Julien, and his two great-grandsons William and James. We celebrate a life well lived.