In 2024 we said goodbye to well-known and lesser-known North Hollanders of origin. From kickboxing legend Rob Kaman to aviation pioneer Martin Schröder. We list a number of them here.
January 17: the one born in Amsterdam Bennie Muller (85) was a former football player. Muller was one of the regular faces of the Ajax of the 1960s and was part of the team that stormed to the world top under trainer Rinus Michels. He played a total of 426 official matches for Ajax 1 between 1958 and 1970, won five national titles with the club and three KNVB cups. Muller played 43 times for the Dutch national team.
February 25: the Amsterdam rapper Bigidagoe (26), stage name of Denzel Joël Silos, was a member of the infamous rap formation Zone6 from the Holendrecht district in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. He died by a shooting in the capital.
March 7: Peter Jelgersma (81) was a household name in the radio and TV world: he founded FilmNet and Radio 10, among others. He also opened the door for TV cable, commercial radio and cable television in the Netherlands. Thanks to him, Amstelveen became one of the first cities with cable television. Until his death, the Amsterdammer fought for open networks.
March 7: self-made man Bert van der Leden (74) originally came from Krommenie, but made it far in Amsterdam, where he became a millionaire with the Haastje Repje clothing stores. He became a well-known face by purchasing various catering businesses, such as Supperclub, Nomads, Envy, Nevy, Wolf Atelier and HappyHappyJoyJoy.
March 19: the one born in Hilversum Paul de Ley (80) architect is considered one of Amsterdam’s most important urban innovators. With his affordable, livable designs, Paul de Ley managed to counter the city formation in post-war Amsterdam. Living and working functions in the city were separated.
March 31: kickboxing legend Rob Kaman (63) won nine world titles in kickboxing and Thai boxing. Kaman was the first European to win the world title in kickboxing in 1983. Of the 112 official fights, Kaman won 97, of which 77 were by knockout. The Amsterdam-born sportsman died in Greece on the island of Skopelos.
April 6: Zaandammer Paul Meijer (59) was known as DJ Paul Everready, but also performed under the alias V-four Steve, and as part of the duos the DiscoTwins and the Discodikes. From the late 1970s, Meijer played in punk bands such as the Sox Pistels and GRRR. He was closely involved in Joost van Bellen’s parties and was a popular DJ in the Amsterdam nightlife scene.
April 17: TV doctor and (GP) doctor Peter Lens was born in Hilversum. From the late 1980s onwards he treated Amsterdam residents in the Red Light District of Amsterdam who did not have a residence permit or were uninsured. Lens also presented the medical TV program together with Ria BremerFinger on the Pulse. He wrote several books and held numerous administrative positions.
Text continues under the photo.
May 14: George Groot (82) was the founder of the cabaret company Don Quishocking. Groot, born in Edam, was a teacher for more than thirty years at the University of the Arts in Utrecht, the Theater School in Amsterdam and at the Koningstheateracademie for Cabaret in Den Bosch. He wrote texts for Jenny Arean, Adelheid Roosen, Haye van der Heyden and Paul de Leeuw, among others.
May 23: born in Heemstede Rudolf Spoor (85) was a former television director and directed major events for the NOS for decades, including the harsh Elfstedentocht of 1963, the moon landing in 1969 and the church wedding of the then Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima in 2002, during which he the famous tear of the future queen depicted.
June 1: Harry van Hoof (81) was conductor, composer and arranger, best known as a conductor for the Dutch entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. Van Hoof, born in Hilversum, was part of Peter Koelewijn’s group Peter and his Rockets and worked closely with artists such as Ramses Shaffy, Rob de Nijs and Willeke Alberti.
July 26: Frits Goldschmeding (90) was an entrepreneur and billionaire. The Amsterdammer founded a temporary employment agency with a fellow student in 1960, called Uitzendbureau Amstelveen. The company later grew under the name Randstad into the largest HR service provider in the world, with approximately 40,000 employees in 39 countries and an annual turnover of more than 25 billion euros.
September 11: the painter born in Santpoort Peter Klashorst (67) became known in the late 1980s for his female nudes and landscapes. With Paul Blanca, Joost Zwagerman and Koos Dalstra, among others, he was part of the Amsterdam artist scene. He was also influential for the squatting scene in the capital. He regularly made the national news with his loose lifestyle.
Text continues under the photo.
October 2: Aviation pioneer Martin Schröder (93) was born in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. Schröder started out as a pilot in the Air Force in the 1950s. In 1958 he founded Martin’s Air Charter, which would later become Martinair. He remained director of the company until 1998. There has also been a Martinair Flying School at Lelystad Airport for decades.
October 6: Former football player and trainer Johan Neeskens (73) played 49 international matches for the Dutch team. The Heemstedenaar celebrated many successes as a club footballer with Ajax and FC Barcelona. Neeskens was an assistant national coach for the Dutch national team for many years, including for Guus Hiddink and Frank Rijkaard. He then worked as head coach at NEC from 2000 to 2004.
October 28: Jan Rijswijk (74) was a retired teacher of mathematics and physics at Brederode College. On behalf of the CDA, he served for a time in the Landsmeer municipal council. He also served the community as a member of the municipality’s monument committee and street names committee. He also volunteered at broadcaster LOL as a presenter of the program Church-wide.
November 5: Hilversummer Sytze van der Zee (85) was a journalist, from 1988 to 1996 he was editor-in-chief of the Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool. Van der Zee also worked as deputy editor-in-chief of Elsevier and correspondent for NRC Handelsblad from Bonn, Brussels and Washington.
November 18: Jan Keizer (84) was former top refereerefereed many national and international football matches between 1967 and 1989 and was active at the 1984 European Championship, the 1986 World Cup and the 1984 Olympic Games. The Volendammer received the Referees’ Special Award from the world football association FIFA in 2001.