Dr. Jac De Jong

Jacob de Jong
November 16, 1924 - November 25, 2020

Jac de Jong went to be with our Lord on November 25, 2020


Imagine


Imagine you are born into a small family, the second of three boys, in an apartment in Holland.
Your mother and father (a strict schoolteacher) are trying to rebuild their lives after World War II — the war to end all wars.

Imagine you have broken your arm for the third time. This time, however, you develop tetanus. Because of the dedication of your mother, at your side day and night, working with your limbs daily and spoon feeding you because you cannot swallow, you recover. You should not have survived but you did. Just imagine.

May 10, 1940. The sky is filled with German paratroopers. You watch as your adopted sister, Jewish by heritage, is taken from your home. You never see her again. Imagine you are sixteen. You and your two brothers must hide, living underground with little food, for two years. If you are caught by the Germans, you will be forced into their army and sent to the "front." Just imagine.

Imagine you survived the war, and you were able to graduate from mechanical school, but there were few job prospects. You decided to leave everything you know and move to Canada, seeking a better life. You work hard, learn the language, and meet the girl of your dreams. With her, you have two sons. But you are told you need more education to progress.

You have to leave your family to start school again, this time in the United States. You have to live apart for two years to save enough money so that your family can join you. Imagine there were more struggles before finally completing your education, a PhD in architecture from the University of Michigan.

Imagine you end up at Texas A&M University as a professor of architecture for 18 years, touching many lives. You give your family countless opportunities, without want or hardship.

His two sons do not have to imagine, they lived it with and because of him.

His sons and their wives, as well as his four grandchildren, cannot imagine life without Jacob de Jong's sacrifice, love, and commitment.

For this, we will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to www.healthyworldhealthychildren.com