Died shortly after 4.00 am on 23 October at Mercy Parklands in Ellerslie, after a long illness. He was aged 91 and had been a priest for 59 years. Nick was born in The Netherlands in 1930 and so was just 9 years old when German forces occupied The Netherlands for the duration of the Second World War. These were years of massive disruption and great hardship. Nick occasionally mentioned his memories of the lack of food at that time which prompted him to always keep a well-stocked larder during his adult life “just in case”.
Nick qualified as a tailor and came to New Zealand along with many other young Dutch men and women looking for a better life after the difficulties of the war years. |