Joannes (John Peter) Petrus Nijman Obituary (2018)

John P. (nee Joannes Petrus) Nijman was born in the Netherlands on October 29, 1934, immigrated to Canada as a young adult, was employed in engineering field with various companies and eventually became Vice President of Engineering at the Canadian subsidiary of the U.S. company Bunker Ramo. In 1978, John was transferred by the company to the Chicago area. His last-held position was Vice President of Engineering at Allied-Signal. He was married for 59 years to his teenage sweetheart Hetty van Mierlo, who followed him to Canada where they married and had two daughters. During his career, John earned 31 patents, some of them worldwide. At the age of 59 he earned an Executive MBA degree from Northern Illinois University, which gave him the confidence to end his corporate career and start his own business. In 1990, John and Hetty purchased a hotel in Yemassee, SC., which they successfully ran with the help of their eldest daughter and her husband. John loved the South and enjoyed being out on his boat, waterskiing, surfsailing, as well as playing tennis. He had a natural talent for piano and appreciated classical music. He was a proud member of the Rotary Club of Beaufort, and at the age of 70 he fulfilled a long-held dream and attained his private pilot license. John passed away on December 5, 2018 and is survived by his beloved wife Hetty, sister Lydia, daughters Astrid (Bill), Jennifer (Steven), his four grandchildren Andrea, Kyle, Jacqueline and Ian, and a large extended family. A Memorial Service will be held on December 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home, 611 Robert Smalls Parkway in Beaufort, SC. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org; 1-800-272-3900).