Petrus Hendrikus Christiaans

Petrus “Piet” Christiaans, age 102 of Oviedo, Florida, passed away on Sunday, August 24, 2025. He was born on April 29th, 1923, in Haarlem, The Netherlands, the son of Hendricus Christiaans and Anna Van Deursen. Piet was the youngest of eight children (Joop Christiaans, Bert Christiaans, Mien Christiaans-Klaver, Henk Christiaans, Jan Christiaans, Josien Christiaans-Tillemans, and Corrie Christiaans-Schaap).

Piet survived World War 2 and had several near misses during that time when he avoided conscription of young men his age to work in the factories in Germany or even to serve in the German army. He was involved in the Dutch underground and was grateful that he did not get caught because the Germans had infiltrated many of the Dutch resistance groups. Piet met Anna Leising during the war. She lived a few streets away from him and they were married in 1950.

Piet was an accountant by profession and worked for several Dutch companies over the years, including the Hoogovens (Koninklijke Nederlandse Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken, or Royal Dutch Steel), before moving to Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles with Anna in 1950. They managed the Pasangrahan Hotel (which later became Bonaire’s Parliament House) until 1952, after which Piet started working for KLM in Curacao. He had an opportunity to work for the OGEM (Overzeese Gas- en Elektriciteitsmaatschappij N.V), a global Dutch-based utilities company in Curacao. In 1960 he was transferred to Venezuela for the OGEM and stayed for several years until he was transferred to the OGEM in Lima, Peru. In 1966 he was transferred back to Curacao. Peter, their son, was born in 1968.

In early 1974, the family moved to St Maarten, where Piet continued to work for the OGEM until 1980. As the Finance Director for OGEM in St Maarten, he was responsible for managing the power and water company on the Dutch side of the island. This was a significant role, as the island’s population grew by 50% in the six years that he lived there.

At the time, there were no schools beyond elementary school in St Maarten and Piet decided to take early retirement from OGEM in 1980 and move the family to Miami, Florida. Piet continued working there as an accountant with his own practice. Anna passed away in January 2000, and Piet got remarried in 2002 to Ineke Duyvelaar (Hesselmans), who had also been part of the Miami Dutch community since 1982, and who had lost her husband the year before. Ineke and her family lived three streets away from Piet, and her children (Jeroen, Marjon, Rene, and Adelbert) attended the same middle and high school.

Piet and Ineke relocated to Oviedo, Florida in 2007. Piet continued to maintain several clients until he was well into his eighties and finally retired as an accountant.

Piet had a wonderful sense of humor, was an avid reader, sports fan, and tennis player until 87 years old. He was a close follower of the Dutch National Football team (especially during the World Cup) and the English Premier League (Liverpool and Manchester United). Both Ineke and Piet spoke Dutch at home and have large families in the Netherlands. This includes extended family on the Christiaans side in New Zealand and Australia. Piet loved Scotch and continued to enjoy a glass in his later years.

Piet is survived by his wife, Clasina (Ineke) Duyvelaar (Hesselmans), his son Peter (and Sandra), and his stepchildren, Jeroen (and Rebecca) Duyvelaar, Marjon (and Mike) Barreto, Renee (and Angela) Duyvelaar, and Rosa Duyvelaar. He is survived by numerous step-grandchildren who brought him great joy, including Arianne (and Yousef), Liam, Jonah (and Elizabeth), Alyssa, and Matthew Duyvelaar, and Harrison and Brandon Barreto.

He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his stepson, Adelbert Duyvelaar.

Arrangements entrusted to Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home.

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 1:30 pm at Mary Mother of God Chapel followed by a celebration of life at San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, 95 Bishop Grady Lane, Winter Park, FL 32792.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the University of Miami General Scholarship Fund (https://give.miami.edu/) in Piet’s name, or to a charity of your choice.