Marinus Zaaijer

In May of 1940, Rien’s education was interrupted by World War II when German forces invaded the Netherlands. In 1943, he and fourteen other young Dutchmen, including his brother, Hans Zaaijer, attempted to cross the North Sea with the goal of joining the Allied forces in the UK. Engine failure caused their boat to lose power, and this resulted in the capture of its occupants by the German Navy. Rien was sentenced to death, but for reasons unknown, the sentence was never carried out. After spending two years in prisons in various locations in Holland and Germany, Rien and his brother were liberated in May of 1945 by American Forces.

After receiving his law degree at the University of Leiden, he re-enlisted in the Dutch Army and served in Indonesia for three years until 1950. In 1961 he accepted a job transfer to New York with KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines. He settled with his wife and two children in Croton-on-Hudson. His wife, the late Mien Zaaijer Schoemake, died in 2010. Mr. Zaaijer is survived by his son, Johannes (John) and wife, Ann Keenan Zaaijer, of Madison, Connecticut, and his daughter, Lies (Liz) Zaaijer Power of Horham, England. Mr. Zaaijer has two grandchildren, Liam J. Zaaijer of New York City and Emma E. Zaaijer of New Haven, Connecticut. He leaves his brother, Hans Zaaijer, and wife, Geertruit Van Wijhe Zaaijer, as well as several nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, who all reside in the Netherlands.

In 1980 Mr. Zaaijer retired after a thirty-year career in Personnel Management. He is a retired major in the Dutch Army and was an avid sailor and stamp collector. A memorial service is to be arranged in the near future. In lieu of flowers, donations may be designated for Phelps Hospice through the Phelps Hospital website https://phelpshospital.org/online-donation.