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These Are The Days
In Loving Memory of Willem de Jong
For months, we have been working on our family tree.
We carefully filled in names, birth dates, and death dates of our ancestors. It felt like honoring history, like gently putting the pieces of a long story together.
But this time, it feels different. This time it hurts.
For the first time, we had to write the death date of someone from our own generation. Not someone from long ago, but someone close to us. Someone we loved.
His name is Willem De Jong.
Exactly one month ago, on February 7, 2026, we lost him. Today, March 7, we honor his memory and the love he leaves behind.
Willem was born on December 10, 1957, in Donkerbroek, in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. He was the son of Siebe De Jong (1929–1971) and Jantje Wilstra (1929–2015), and grew up with his brothers Oenze and Peter, and his sisters Dirkje and Annie.
He came from strong roots — and he carried that strength with him all his life.
He was married to Carolina Rosemarie Kuiper — lovingly called Karin — for 41 years. They were not just husband and wife, but true partners in life. Together they built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and love.
On March 25, 1985, they became parents to their son, Darryll Sebastian Roderick. And on January 2, 1990, their daughter Melissa Liane was born. Willem was a proud father. He didn’t always need many words, as his love was shown through his actions.
On October 11, 2010, they became grandparents for the first time when Melissa’s son, Joshua Simon Willem, was born. On August 24, 2013, Noah Yusuf Marten was born. And on August 25, 2017, their third grandson, Max Dinand Christiaan, joined the family.
Becoming “opa” was something special for Willem. You could see the softness in him, the pride, and the deep love that only grew stronger with every new life.
Some years, we used to drive two hours to Friesland just to celebrate New Year’s Eve together with Willem and Karin. We always stayed for two days, as Melissa’s birthday was January 2nd, and we would celebrate this with them as well. Every visit, every moment spent together, was special — filled with laughter, warmth, and love.
Now, those moments feel all too few, and we wish we had more of them…
Willem was always in the kitchen. Cooking was his passion, and he could do it like no one else. It didn’t matter what he prepared – you could taste the love in it.
On February 7, 2026, Willem passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife and children. A week later, on February 12, 2026, we said our final farewell.
At his funeral, he chose the song These Are the Days by Van Morrison. He must have chosen it for a reason.
“These are the days now that we must savor.”
Perhaps that was his way of reminding us to enjoy the ordinary days, to love deeply, and to be present.
He was laid to rest in the presence of his closest family at a natural burial ground in Nieuwehorne, Friesland. It was beautiful, quiet, and one with nature. It felt as if something precious was being gently returned to the earth.
His son Darryll said something that has stayed with us: “Someone so grounded should remain close to the earth.”
And that was Willem. Grounded. Straightforward.
His name in our family tree will always carry more than dates. It carries a life lived with love, and a man who returned to the earth just as he was.