In Memoriam

Eilert de Jong

On New Years day 2018, we received, completely unexpected, the news that Eilert de Jong had passed away that day as a result of an aneurism. As one of the close friends of the family, I would like to share some joint memories and highlight his extraordinary contributions to the Dutch Chapter of the 1818 Society.

Eilert was born in 1938 in the northern province of Friesland, a land of water and beautiful skies, for which he has always kept great affection. He studied Economics at the Free University of Amsterdam and followed additional courses in Harvard and Saint Petersburg. After these studies he was stationed for UNDP in Pakistan (1967-1970) as Junior Professional. He joined the World Bank in 1970, and was Deputy and later Res. Rep in Ethiopia from 1974-1980. At that time Ethiopia went through a major political crisis changing from the Emperor Haile Selassie’s regime to a communist society. As representative of the World Bank, Eilert had to handle some quite complex issues, such as the compensation for nationalizations in the sugar sector.

Our friendship with the De Jong family started there, when I arrived in Addis Ababa in 1976 as employee of an international agricultural research organization.  We have the best of memories of our camping outings under the Acacia trees at a lake some 100 km south of Addis Ababa, which was, under the prevailing security restrictions, the only touristic place accessible for expats. There we started to appreciate the first of his fine characteristics: his ingenuity in making things work, be it for getting hold of a large old parachute for protection against the sun, the fixing of an old dilapidated boat, or the purchase of the first windsurfing board in Ethiopia. It all helped to make our stays at the lake more fun.

We had a mutual interest in the continued existence of the then American School, and joined both the school’s Board. That is where I learned to appreciate a second of his qualities: his tenacity and diplomacy. Representing the Bank and the American School, seen as two icons of the US, in a communist environment and still maintaining cordial relations at all levels, as he did, was quite a feat!

We continued our friendship in Washington, when I joined the World Bank in 1983, with many boat trips on the Potomac and again, when we both retired in the Netherlands. His social engagement was shown by the many functions he assumed in the Netherlands, not in the least as a long time board member of the 1818 Dutch Society. In this function he will be remembered as its secretary and for the superb organization of two reunions, both, of course, with boat trips on the lakes of Groningen and Friesland. But most of all, he will be recalled for the third of his many qualities, his sharp analytical mind in dealing with complex social security and tax issues for returning Bank staff. He was the key source of information on these issues.

Friesians are known for being stubborn, and that is how we will remember Eilert, as socially highly motivated, a great mind, who conveyed his Friesian characteristics in a most amiable way. He will be sorely missed, and we wish his wife Bonny, and the De Jong Family the strength to carry this loss.

Submitted by Cees de Haan (Chair, 1818 Dutch Chapter)