The five transfers of Wim ‘Bill’ Onink
Wim Onink was a close friend of my fathers. In the first years of the fifties they played soccer together in The Hague. Their club’s name was VUC, which stood for Voorwaarts (Forward) Utile-Dulci (Usefull and Nice at the same time) Combinatie (Combination). Bill – for obvious reasons – later would not pronounce the name of his club in Dutch (‘VUC’), but in English as ‘Vee You Cee’.
In 1954 professional football was introduced in The Netherlands. My father, Chris Willemsen, born 1927, was one of the first to sign for Profclub The Hague ’54. From the money he received immediately after signing, he bought a second hand motor bike. The same day he drove by the Onink family house and proudly showed Wim his purchase. After my father told him he bought the bike from the ‘football money’ he had received, Wim reacted: “I will sign too!” That was his first transfer.
The rest is history. Wim Onink, only 19 years young, also signed for Profclub The Hague ’54. He was a wing defender, both on the right and left side. Furthermore he turned out to be a huge talent. He was afraid of nothing, had a great tackle in both feet and supported his team mates thanks to a ‘huge pair of lungs’.
He was that good, that he was bought – together with my father and the legendary Dutch goalie Piet Kraak; the three of them were very good friends – by the club Elinkwijk in Utrecht. Together they went to the training – four times a week – and the matches on their motor bikes. It was Wim’s second transfer.
Wim’s development was enormous: he played on the highest level in Dutch football and was selected for the national Dutch Squad. But did he play for the national team? No, he did not. Why? From one day to another he decided to go his own way. Wim/Willem could be a very moody guy. When it rained three days in a row – and in Holland it frequently does – he was more than hard to handle. So what did he do? He went to the Dutch bureau of emigration and became… an American! “I wanted to see palm trees everyday” is how he shortly explained his new and third transfer. This time to California.
But he didn’t go there alone: in Holland, not long before he went to the USA, Willem Onink married Pauline Van Koesveld, the couple immigrated to America in 1958. On September 1st, 1960, their daughter Peggy Delores Onink was born. The marriage of Willem and Pauline lasted 14 years. They divorced in 1972.
Laster, and known as Bill, he met Marsha Brander, who also went through a divorce the same time. Bill and Marsha married July 28, 1979. A marriage of love for almost 43 years.
Meanwhile came a fourth transfer in Bill Onink’s life, and as he said a million times: his most important transfer. After as the Dutch say ’12 ambachten, 13 ongelukken’ – 12 jobs, 13 times bad luck – he one day went to a church in Amerika and, as he told me once, was struck by lightning. His exact words that came right from the heart were: “I met Jesus and He changed my life.”
Wim, Willem, Bill – call him whatever you wish – and I got together in the beginning of this century. My father had passed away in 2001 and I succeeded in getting in touch with Wim. He came to Holland and we met. For me personally this were moments I never forget and still make me emotional. He was a friend of my father, so he was a friend of mine as well. His warmth, kindness and understanding were more than amazing, I never met someone so much ‘human’ as he was.
In Holland Wim and I had a short but great time together. He met my mother again – who sat on the back of my father’s motor bike to Utrecht in them old soccer days, with me (born 1953) in the middle of them. Wim also met my children. As they still can recall, Wim was one of the nicest and gently people they ever met. And my mother, who died in 2021 at the age of 90, remembered Wim even in the last period of her life as her husband’s ‘Best friend with that never disappearing smile on his friendly face’.
My oldest son accompanied us as a video technician when we were working on a documentary on Wim/Bill, called ‘From King Football To King Jesus’. Therefore we went to lots of locations: the old, no longer existing, spot where Profclub The Hague ’54 played their home games. We went to Utrecht where Wim met his old Elinkwijk friends. And we went to the Maasbach family, where Johan Maasbach’s son David welcomed Bill as if he was his own brother. And in fact he wás, because they, and you, have the same love and devotion: Jesus.
David even invited Wim to hold a fantastic speech for about 500 people in the Maasbach Theatre in The Haghe. Pastor Bill Onink spoke in Dutch with the occasional English ‘mistakes’ (for sometimes he didn’t remember the Dutch words) and received an enormous applause when he had finished his ‘story of my life’. Unfortunately I can’t find any film material from that unforgettable period, and of course I regret that very much.
In my book Blikkie Terug – Dutch slang for Looking Back – which I published in 2013, I spend a chapter on Wim, pages 123/124. I’m sure Marsha will be able to find my book in her archives.
Finally. In my life as a journalist, writer, poet, football player (I was a professional too), marketeer and more, I met thousands of people. Wim/Bill was not just one of them. He was one of the most impressive ones of them. I hope, no: I’m sure, he is in everybody’s mind, thoughts and prayers. And, most importantly, there was a fifth transfer in his life, his final: On June 22nd, 2022, he not only found eternal peace, but also went to meet the One who changed his life forever.
Wim/Bill, thank you for being a friend of my fathers.
And a friend of mine.
Chris Willemsen, June 2022
Bill is survived by: Wife, Marsha Rita Onink; Daughter, Peggy Delores Fluent; Son in Love; Glenn Stuart Brander; Daughter-in-law, Cara Brander; Granddaughters, Arianna Leigh Brander, Jillian Faith Brander; Daughter in Love; Jaclyne Joan Brander; Peggy’s Mother, Pauline H. Gordon Van Koesveld.
Leo Onink’s family in Denmark: Children: Per Onink, Maud Onink, Arly Onink, Jacob Onink & Ronnie Onink.; Grandchildren: Amalie Onink, 2 great grandchildren; Alex Onink; Thorbjorn Onink; Wife, Beverly Onink; Stepdaughter’s: Diane Sullivan & Cindy Jacobowitz.
Dirk Onink’s family: Wife, Elsie Onink; Dirk Christian Onink, Gustavo Onink, Claudia Onink Schwarz, Marcus Schwarz, Maxine Schwarz & Lucy Schwarz. Daughter: Cecilia & Sergio de Silva, Grandchildren: Pricilla de Silva, Bruno de Silva, Alexia de Silva.
Cousins & relatives in Holland: Brian Olivier, Minka Bax, Frans Van Rooijen R.I.P.,Anameike Van Rooijen, Madeliene & Rein Schook, Evelien Willems, Hans Onink & Pluis Krulhaar.
A memorial service for Willem will be held Monday, July 18, 2022 at 12:00 PM at Calvary Faith Center, 8301 Elm Ave #600, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AchesonandGraham.com for the Onink family.
