Hanneke Dearborn

Born May 10, 1941 in Nazi-occupied Europe, Hanneke grew up in Utrecht, the Netherlands. She went to elementary school with the Dutch princesses, including the future Queen Beatrix. At 19, she went to art school in London to study fashion design. Upon returning to Utrecht, she adopted a wirehaired Daschund who she named Dirty because it was trendy in the Netherlands to have English names. The puppy was muddy when she met him. She never expected to move to an English-speaking country with him, and the name was comical to American neighbors. She would own and raise several more Daschunds throughout her life.

Hanneke met her husband-to-be on September 22, 1963. They were set up by her sister’s boyfriend who was Dan’s friend. The two guys were gourmet cooks and threw a spaghetti dinner party. Hanneke often said that the moment she and Dan locked eyes, that was it. They were engaged on January 24, 1965 and married the following April 3rd. They moved to the USA the following year, and had their firstborn son, Oris Daniel Dearborn, III in 1967 in Edmonds, Washington. Kristine Hanneke followed in 1969 in Portland, Oregon. Bart Jan and Matthew Dorr were born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1972 and 1974.

The US Air Force sent Dan on a dangerous unaccompanied assignment to Thailand while Hanneke took the kids to live with her father in Utrecht. Alone, she juggled her kids’ needs while they were 7, 5, 2, and 6 months old. Talk about heroic! The next military move was to England, which was her happy place for four glorious years. Leaving there for California in 1978 was very hard on Hanneke, but this dry land was where she met God and first experienced his love in a deep and satisfying way.

In 1982, the Air Force took her and Dan to the Pentagon. The family lived in Springfield, Virginia. This led to Truro Anglican Church becoming their church home and a major part of Dan and Hanneke’s lives. They joined a Shepherd Group and later became leaders. Shepherd Groups were more than Bible studies; the groups functioned like supportive families. Hanneke had a special calling to work with young children. Her niche was kindergarten and first grade. She was a teacher’s aide for Fairfax County Schools, often being assigned first-year teachers so she could mentor them, and she taught the same ages in Truro’s Sunday School and VBS. Hanneke and Dan joined Truro’s prayer ministry, benefiting others by their ability to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Ministering to others brought great riches to Hanneke’s life. After retiring from the Air Force, Dan and Hanneke became counselors at Truro. We will never know how many lives they touched in that capacity because they took client confidentiality seriously.

Hanneke was civic-minded. Though she loved her home country of the Netherlands, she also cared about the welfare of the United States. She became an American citizen in 1998 so that she could vote and to live out her life in the same country as her kids and grandkids.

In retirement, Hanneke and Dan lived their decades-old dream and bought a property in the Virginia countryside. They designed and built a home looking at the Blue Ridge Mountains in Round Hill, Virginia. In 2012, they moved from their dream house in Round Hill to Ashby Ponds where they made friends and aged in a safe environment that is much like living on a cruise ship with many activities, good food, and lovely landscaping. Hanneke died on Friday, March 25, 2022, less than 4 months after her true love died. On April 3, they’ll spend their 57th anniversary together in heaven.

Hanneke was a kind soul who was loved by many friends and family. She held her family dear and lived her faith in Christ. She prayed for countless people and saw many prayers answered. She lived her life to the fullest and was blessed to do so traveling with Dan, friends, and family. She and Dan loved great dining experiences and to share them with others, unless it was their Anniversary. Hanneke loved vacations at the beach, but never went in the water past her knees. She loved flowers and nature, taking time to enjoy them both. She was passionate about her ministry to children. Most of all she was creative, from dress design to drawings, children's stories, and cooking meals. She was artistic and had a great imagination. Her unique humor was passed on to her kids and always brought a smile. Her friendships lasted her lifetime. Hanneke never lost her Dutch accent or love of chocolate and cookies.

Hanneke and Dan gave to others, community, and church. They believed that, “to those who have been given much, much is expected” and that riches were better stored up in heaven than seen to rust here on earth. They served their community, church, and most of all God. She was promised heaven and heaven is where she will be, welcomed by Christ with, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Hanneke leaves behind two sisters, Joekie Gurski and Annemarie & James Duda; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law Ruth Robbins, Margaret and Glen Stenson, Dorr and Joyce Dearborn; four children, Oris and his wife Melonie, Kristine and her husband Steven, Bart and his wife Monica, and Matthew. She has 11 grandchildren: Oris Daniel Dearborn, IV and his wife Jasmine, Evan Dearborn, Hope Dearborn, Sage Dearborn, Luke Dearborn, Anneke Mae Dearborn, Elijah Dearborn, Cody Dearborn, Garrett Dearborn, Sebastian Kohut, and Pieter Kohut, and a great grandchild on the way. She also leaves behind extended family, several Godchildren and friends who will miss her dearly.

Hanneke’s funeral will be held at Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, April 9 at 1:30pm. For those who can’t travel, it can be seen virtually at https://youtu.be/vFHHkF8hzRw

For those who would like to make a donation on her behalf, she loved Compassion International. Hanneke and Dan sponsored children into adulthood through them.

https://www.compassion.com/where-most-needed.htm

For those who would like to donate flowers, she particularly loved tulips and daffodils.