Jo Van der Linden

Jo Van der Linden, beloved husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and friend, was born outside Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on September 10, 1935, to Seymour and Florence Van der Linden (both deceased). He is also predeceased by his older brother, Bernard “Bernie” Van der Linden, and his twin sister, Evelyn.

In April 1939, as the threat to Jewish families in Europe grew, Jo and his family left the Netherlands aboard the Zaandam and immigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn, New York. The family was fortunate that Seymour had obtained a passport years earlier, giving them the opportunity to build a new life in America.

Growing up in Bensonhurst (Brooklyn), Jo learned early the value of hard work. While he may not have considered himself the best student, he possessed something that would serve him throughout his life: tremendous street smarts, determination, and an instinct for people. He worked from a young age as a newspaper boy, helping his family put food on the table while also putting himself through school (Straubenmuller).

In 1953, Jo enrolled at Lowell Textile Institute in Massachusetts, where he participated in ROTC and helicopter maintenance. His college years helped prepare him for a career in the textile industry (and as a part-time auctioneer), but they also indirectly led to the most important relationship of his life.

In 1960, Jo spent a weekend at Banner Lodge in Moodus, Connecticut, with his college friend Danny Blatt. As family lore has it, a coin flip helped determine the course of the weekend (and the rest of their lives) as this ultimately led Jo to choosing Barbara Lynn Zenkel to dance. Jo and Barbara married in August 1961, beginning a remarkable partnership that would span approximately 65 years.

Together they built a life centered around family. They had three sons, Scott (married to Mary Farley Van der Linden), Gregg (married to Lucina Fernandez Van der Linden), and Ross (married to Brittany Ahlstrom Van der Linden), and later welcomed eight grandchildren: Josh, Claire, Eric, Nicole, Jacob, Sophia, Miles, and Violet.

Jo and Barbara first made their home in Queens and later Woodmere, New York. In 1972, they moved their young family to Greensboro, North Carolina, which would become home for the next chapter of their lives. They became part of the communities at Temple Emanuel and Starmount Forest Country Club, and Jo and Barbara could frequently be found on the tennis court or golf course.

Jo built his career in the textile machinery business. He began by helping liquidate sweater mills in New England and later throughout the Southeast, finding new homes for the machinery as the textile industry changed. His business eventually expanded into Latin America. He partnered with his longtime friend and business associate Bob Hagey (deceased) and later had the pleasure of working in the business alongside his two older sons.

Business suited Jo because Jo understood people. Those who knew him will remember his charm, quick wit, infectious smile, and complete lack of hesitation about introducing himself to a stranger. He had a remarkable ability to make people comfortable and, more often than not, make them laugh.

As the years passed, Jo and Barbara increasingly divided their time between Greensboro and Florida, becoming part of the community at Boca Pointe. Jo rarely sat still. Until later in life, he could routinely be found playing golf three days a week and tennis five days a week. A round of golf also offered Jo (and Barbara) another favorite pursuit: collecting seemingly every stray golf ball he could find.

He loved bridge nearly as much, playing regularly and competitively. Family and friends will undoubtedly continue telling the story of the day when Jo's competitive spirit at the bridge table apparently got the better of him and resulted in a bloody altercation at the bridge parlor. It was one of the countless stories that made Jo unmistakably Jo.

But for all the stories, sports, travel, and business adventures, family was at the center of Jo's life.

He was the rock of the Van der Linden family. He remained extraordinarily close to his sons and delighted in his grandchildren. Family visits were occasions Jo genuinely looked forward to and frequently he could be seen pacing outside in anticipation of everyone's arrival.

His life began with a family courageous enough to leave everything behind and cross an ocean in search of safety and opportunity. What Jo did with that opportunity was build a life filled with hard work, resilience, friendship, laughter, and, above all, family. He leaves behind his wife and partner of over 65 years, Barbara, and a family that will forever remember his wit, his smile, his toughness, his dancing and his enduring love for them.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be considered in Jo's memory to Sanctuary House of Greensboro.