OTYPE=R : eckajvanincomplete.txt : 00501 |On October 7, our colleague and my very good friend Arie Jan van Eck died in the hospital in Sluiskil. We were still together with our wives shortly before and how could we have imagined then that so suddenly an end would come to this life, in which he had obliged so many to himself. He gave more than he received; how many will miss his warm interest, support and the face so familiar! He was born in The Hague and enjoyed spending time there among his many relatives, friends and acquaintances, whom he loved to gather around him. I got to know him during our studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and Humanities, more than 40 years ago, and from the very first moment this meant a mutual sympathy, which grew into a friendship for life, as strong as it rarely is. His interest and ability during our studies were strongly focused on the structural, which soon resulted in calculating steel and reinforced concrete structures for others. Partly due to his charming personality, his circle of relations expanded rapidly and the one-man firm slowly but surely grew into the well-known architectural and engineering firm in The Hague, where he was supported by a large number of dedicated employees. Naturally, the war interrupted the work of his office completely; after the liberation, a rapid build-up followed, partly due to the much work he carried out for the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij, in cooperation with the various technical departments; work spread all over the world. During the war he immersed himself more in the architectural aspects of his profession and the development of architecture, which led to accepting full commissions in that direction after the war. Of this, the executed designs of the water towers at Oostburg, Terneuzen and Venlo bear particular witness. Especially the one in Oostburg attracted attention because of its interesting structural and architectural solution of a very complicated program, commissioned to him by the management of the Zeeuwsch-Vlaamsche waterleidingmaatschappij. His clients became friends - many examples of this are known to me. As a member of the Haagsche Kunstkring and Pulchri Studio, he had a large share in club life, although, too modest as he was, he preferred to keep in the background. His interest in the visual arts was great and many artists were therefore at his quarry with many fellow architects, to pay him their last respects. He was part of the technical editorial committee of BOUW, on which we architects sat. We remember him as a dedicated member, we will miss him dearly. Our colleagues Roosenburg, Wegerif and Burger, the latter on behalf of the staff of the office, testified at the grave of the great loss and feeling of emptiness that Arie van Eck left behind, especially because so many will miss his special, warm friendship. It must be a comfort to his wife to know how much her husband was esteemed among his colleagues, friends and co-workers; he had only friends and not enemies.