Johannes Antonius Hartwig

Many things can be said about Johannes Antonius Hartwig. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive man, his compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing his charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. He was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things he sought to accomplish. Johannes was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly and bringing out the best in all of those around him. He generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

His parents were Adriana & Louis Hartwig. Johannes was raised in Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) & The Hague, Netherlands. When he was young, Johannes's friends and family found that “fun” and “honest” were perfect words to describe him. Even as a child, Johannes demonstrated strong qualities of determination, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around him.

Johannes grew up with 3 Sisters and 2 brothers. He had 1 older brother, 2 older sisters and 1 younger brother and sister. Johannes was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with his family. He was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served him well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Johannes carried these traits into his adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found him pleasurable and delightful to be around. Johannes was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those he knew.

As a young boy, Johannes was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether his peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Johannes could easily relate to other kids. He was an active child who took part in soccer, speed skating and badminton. He was in a soccer club. In his spare time he liked flying self made kites. However, to Johannes, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

On June 3rd, 1961 Johannes married Kitty Danekes at the Justice of The Peace of St. Louis, Missouri. Compassionate and devoted, Johannes worked hard to make his new family happy. He was always generous with his time and this meant that Kitty came first in Johannes’s book. He was always caring and made certain that he considered Kitty’s feelings. By trusting his emotions, Johannes did his best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Johannes was truly a person of empathy.

Johannes’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good father to his children. Johannes shared these values with his 2 daughters, Barbara & Wendy. Johannes was also blessed with 3 Grandsons & 3 Granddaughters, Tristen, Jeremia, Raymond, Amanda, Kylie & Chanelle. Johannes related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved him and he was completely and totally devoted to them. He loved spending time with his 5 great-grandkids, Sebastian, Keegan, Kayden, Liam and Luke.

Johannes experienced success in his work life over and over again. His primary occupation was as a Sr. Experimental R&D Engineer who worked on one of the first artificial heart valves, the microfiber balloon that cleared arteries to place a stint and he worked on one of the first diabetic pumps as well. He was employed for 20 years by Aerospace and 20 years in the Medical field. Johannes always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by his colleagues as a team player. Johannes took pride in managing his professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Johannes was one to take the initiative and his skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Johannes continually sought to learn what his co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled him to help them develop their own potential.

Johannes served 2 years in the Dutch Military in The Netherlands. Johannes demonstrated personal initiative and valued these same principles in those with whom he served.

Because he was organized and methodical, Johannes took great pleasure in his various hobbies. His favorite pursuits were music, playing the guitar, piano and Ukulele, Bowling, Golf, Badminton and he loved to Dance. Johannes enjoyed sharing his passions with others.

Johannes derived much satisfaction from sports. Because he was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Johannes delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. In high school, Johannes played Soccer. In his college years, Johannes continued to stay active by Badminton. Recreational sports included bowling, golf and racquetball. Johannes was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams' events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Soccer.

Johannes’s faith was important to him. He was a member of Calvary since 1994. He was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in his work with the congregation.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Johannes was given accolades for his many and varied efforts throughout his life. If the truth were known, Johannes was always a little uncomfortable with being singled out for recognition. Some of his most prestigious awards included bowling a perfect 300 game not once but four times.

Johannes enjoyed traveling. His gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Johannes were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included going to California to visit his daughter’s family, Florida and Arizona.

Johannes was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Johannes's favorite was Prince his childhood dog and later on CoCo, Tippy and Senya.

When Johannes’s retirement finally came in 1998, he was well ready for adventure and change. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. This is where he met his life partner, Ingrid Lapre. In retirement, he found new pleasure in meeting new people, bowling, church, badminton and golfing and walking with his neighbors. Even in retirement, Johannes continued to stay in touch with his old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. He felt fulfilled.

Johannes passed away on October 5, 2019 at Peacefully at home in Las Vegas, Nevada surrounded by his daughters, grandchildren and partner. He is survived by his life partner Ingrid Lapre, Siblings; Gene & Desi Louise, his children Barbara & Wendy, Grandchildren; Raymond, Jeremia, Amanda, Kylie, Chanelle & Tristen, Son-in-Laws: Robert and David and Great-Grandchildren; Sebastian, Keegan, Kayden, Liam and Luke. Services were held at Palm Mortuary. Johannes was laid to rest in Mt. Charleston, Nevada.

Throughout his life, Johannes was a gregarious and enthusiastic man. He was generous in sharing his personal attributes, giving and helping those he knew and loved. He would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. He was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Johannes leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives he touched will dearly remember Johannes Antonius Hartwig.