HENDRIK LAVERGE

1941 - 2020

LAVERGE--Hendrik Johannes (1941-2020) Hans Laverge, age 79, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, September 12, 2020 in Washington, Connecticut, after a brief but intense battle with cancer. Born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, his parents were Albertus Laverge and Juliette Terwindt, both lawyers. He had an older sister, Julia, and a twin sister Elizabeth. With the Japanese invasion in 1942, the family were interned in concentration camps (mother and children in Tjideng and father in Pakanbaru). His father died in the camps in 1945. Returning to the Netherlands after the war, where his mother practiced as a lawyer and later as the first female member of the judiciary, he studied at the Openluchtschool, Barleus Gymnasium, de Breul, and graduated with a law degree from Leiden University in 1965 where he was a member of the Collegium of the Studentenvereniging "Minerva". Following his studies, he traveled around the world on cargo ships and found himself in Yemen during the independence uprising, in Indonesia during the political unrest, and in China at the beginning of the cultural revolution. After returning to the Netherlands he married Regine Schade, and they settled in the US in 1968. He joined Brown Brothers Harriman & Co in New York. Subsequently he was Assistant Treasurer of United Technologies in Hartford, Senior Vice President Finance of Continental Grain in New York, Senior Vice President Finance of McAndrews & Forbes in New York, Partner of Valenzuela Capital Partners, Chief Financial Officer of Nidera in Rotterdam, and General Manager of Concordia Agritrading PTE in Singapore. After having "retired", he had countless projects and passions, including as a lecturer at John Jay College; as Treasurer of the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts and Humanities; a Trustee of Gallop NYC; a Trustee of the Leidse Universiteitsfonds, a Trustee of St. Barnabas College in Johannesburg, South Africa; a mentor at Covenant House, a mentor at Baruch College; and volunteering at the New York Immigration Courts translating documents and helping guide immigrants through the process. One of his greatest passions later in life was Mongolia, to which he made many trips over the decades, riding on the steppes with the Kazakh eagle hunters, introducing the Altai mountains to friends and family, and with his local partners building a hotel in Olgii, Mongolia. His theme- song was Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In", which he sang riding over the vast landscape. He was an avid tennis and squash player, horseman, dog-lover, voracious reader, and active mentor and advice giver. Having grown up without a father himself, he often said it was like being on the open ocean without a compass. He invested extraordinary time and energy in mentoring young people and helping them find their path. He was a regular, committed and welcome visitor to his children, grandchildren, cousins and nephews and nieces the world over - from the Netherlands to Australia, South Africa, Canada, Scotland, Curacao, and throughout the US. Visits from "Oom Hans" were regular and enjoyed. He was the beacon for bringing the family together for events, trips, adventures and reunions. He is survived by his son, Albert Laverge and his wife Kate of Riverside, CT, and their children Allie and Charlie; his daughter Claire Petitt and her husband Peter Petitt of San Francisco, CA, and their children Saskia and Philip; his twin sister, Elizabeth Insinger-Laverge of Rotterdam, the Netherlands; his partner Barbara Tamerin of New York City; and many close cousins, nephews, nieces, mentees, friends and his trusted labrador, Wellington. A memorial service will be arranged in the future once travel restrictions allow. In lieu of flowers, he asked that donations be made to GallopNYC, which offers therapeutic horsemanship programs to riders with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and at-risk youth. http://gallopnyc.org/