Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium organised a memorial evening on Friday, 1 November. Many people braved the autumn weather to visit the atmospherically illuminated memorial park, coming together to light candles and remember loved ones.
Henry Keizer, President and CEO of ‘the Facultatieve Group’ passed away completely unexpectedly on the 5th October 2019.
In 1996, Henry Keizer was approached by the then Supervisory Board of ‘the Facultatieve’ and invited to manage and develop the organisation – which was derived from the Royal Dutch Cremation Society (established in 1874) – in line with the international ambitions. Two years later, he became President and CEO of ‘the Facultatieve Group’ which, under his leadership, grew into a leading and well respected international organisation with branches all over the world.
He held the position of President and CEO of ‘the Facultatieve Group’ for more than 20 years. During those years, the Group has enjoyed enormous growth both nationally and internationally.
The number of cemeteries and crematoria within our group, in the Netherlands has expanded, and now includes three crematoria in Germany. Under his leadership Facultatieve Technologies (FT) has also established a strong and respected position worldwide.
Henry Keizer was passionately involved in a number of international organisations and had a particular soft spot for his charitable organisations and was always willing and ready to give advice and guidance to young people.
In Henry Keizer, we have lost a striking man with a charming personality, enormous knowledge and amazing managerial qualities. But it was particularly someone with great energy, enthusiasm, good humour, warm friendship that will be genuinely missed.
We have received countless messages of sympathy from organisations around the world of his unexpected passing and these sentiments are perhaps best expressed in an online forum in the funeral sector which simply said; ‘Rest in peace beautiful person!’.
Crematorium Haskerpoort (municipality De Friese Meren in the northern Netherlands) was officially opened on Friday 29 September 2017. Funerary service provider Van der Zwaag Uitvaartzorg BV from Oranjewoud commissioned FT to install an FT III cremator with filter. This advanced cremator meets the most stringent environmental requirements.
A fully automatic insertion trolley was also fitted. To process the ash, the crematorium opted for a High Speed Cremulator, a PLC-controlled ash grinder that directly separates the ash residues from any metal objects. Combined with the powerful Ash Transfer Cabinet, any dust which may be released is directly extracted.
On Sunday 11 September 2016, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium will take part in the national Open Monuments Day. Dieren Crematorium will also be open on Saturday 10 September. You can enjoy a (monumental) walk in both memorial parks. Everybody is very welcome.
Monumental memorial park Westerveld
On 11 September, you can take a walk around the Westerveld monumental memorial park. This route is part of the North Holland Network of Walks. The route map is available at Petit Café Westerveld, which is open from 11.00 to 16.00 during the Open Monuments Day. The memorial park itself is open from 09.00 to 17.00. You would be most welcome to come to the Petit Café Westerveld for more information and a cup of coffee or tea with a tasty treat or for our special walking package. During the Open Monuments Day, you can also buy the book ‘Westerveld, een monumentale ontdekkingstocht’ for just € 12.50. If you buy something in the Petit Café, you will even be eligible to buy the book for the special price of € 9.50.
Nature and monuments at Dieren Crematorium
On Saturday and Sunday 10 and 11 September 2016, you can take a walk through the beautiful memorial park from 10.00 to 17.00. Dieren Crematorium was the second crematorium in the Netherlands (1954), making it a symbol for the history and development of cremation. With its unique location in a wooded setting, Dieren Crematorium really is an integral part of the locality. Aside from being a crematorium and wonderful piece of cultural heritage, the memorial park is also a fabulous place for walks, with peace and quiet and lots of nature and adorned as it is with so many monuments. Columbarium Erica is a monument in and of itself. The columbarium was awarded monumental status due to its exceptional architecture and the unusual design, which plays with symmetry and the way light falls.
Icons & symbols
The national theme of the Open Monuments Day is Icons & symbols – images or signs that have something special to tell us. Monuments can have an iconic value, as they are symbolic for our culture and closely related to our identity. The designs often use different symbols: a sign of the times, the religion or beliefs of the deceased.
On Sunday 5 June, Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium organised its first ‘Westerveld Fair’. Hundreds of people visited the delightful outdoor fair during this sunny Sunday afternoon. The reactions of visitors and exhibitors alike were extremely positive, with nature and art joining together in harmony.
Welcoming memorial park
A wide range of exhibitors were present during the fair displaying a variety of products and services covering art, crafts and nature. “The surroundings are so lovely here”, said one of the visitors. “It’s great to experience the park this time in such a different way. The atmosphere was also really pleasant, with wonderful products, music and theatre. And my daughters were totally preoccupied decorating birdhouses – what fun!
Theatre and falconer
There was also an outdoor auditorium on the field where visitors could listen to music and watch short theatrical performances. The chairs were constantly occupied, as Multatuli, Aletta Jacobs, Anthony Fokker and Berlage regaled us convincingly with their history and – naturally – their link to the Westerveld Memorial Park. Visitors listened enthralled to their stories, which were interchanged with musical performances by Marsmelody and Cigale. Falconer Mart Schrieken also provided demonstrations with birds of prey and owls. He told us all about the birds and the training they are given. Enthusiastic volunteers from the audience were allowed to help during the demonstrations.
“The Fair was exactly what we had hoped it would be”, said Carla Bosua, Director of Westerveld Cemetery & Crematorium. “We wanted to introduce people to the memorial park in a totally different light, and that seems to have been very successful. The great products from exhibitors, the performances, the catering and of course the fabulous weather ensured a really warm and friendly atmosphere.