Biography (English):
Family of origin: Joost was born on August 14th 1941 in Arnhem as the 2nd child in a humanistic publishers family.
Parents: Sietje van Kooten and Reinier Beumer (Pa).
Siblings: Joost has an older sister Marjan (+ 1.5 years)and had a younger brother (Frank) Jeroen (-5.5 years).
The War: Joost was forced to flee Arnhem in September 1944 at just 3 years old, together with his parents & sister, during 'Operation Marketgarden'. His grandfather (on mother's side) was unfortunately shot dead during an allied air raid in Beekbergen during his evacuation from Arnhem. Fortunately, the rest of the family survived the war.
“My first memories are of the air raid alarms, in a neighboring house on the Jozef Israelstraat (Hoogkamp, Arnhem), which regularly made me jump out of my skin. Also of a sky full of paratroopers.
I don't remember anything about the evacuation, or the broken legs*.
We had been evacuated to the Harskamp, I remember there was a building with German soldiers standing in front, they were making comments to me; it was cold, they were beating their arms across their bodies to dispel the cold. I was scared to death of them.
I also remember the moment of liberation. We were at the Harskamp, at family (Rosier’s?) in the bomb shelter, when suddenly soldiers wearing differently shaped helmets, with rifles drawn came around the corner of the house and shouted something. Pa shouted something back. Then, I felt everyone went absolutely insane, including Marjan, who to my shock even accepted a piece of chocolate from one of the soldiers.” They were not German soldiers, as Joost believed at the time, but Canadian liberators.
* Joost mentions broken legs above. As a toddler he had rickets (pronounced O-legs) due to a vitamin D deficiency. To correct this, doctors broke both his legs simultaneously and his legs were put in casts.
Amsterdam: Joost and his family went to live in Amsterdam after the war, “I believe from 1946- 1953. We lived in the Rivierenbuurt, Eemsstraat 72.”
Haren, Groningen: “The move to Haren was due to the fact that Pa had been asked by J.B.Wolters, a publishing company, to come and work for them, specifically to take up industrial education. I believe it was a difficult decision for my parents at the time because my fathers heart was more set on the social aspects of the NUT (utility company).
The higher wages at JBWolters was ultimately the deciding factor though, as it gave my parents more financial breadth and the opportunity to give their children a higher quality “youth = future” .
Our friends in Amsterdam felt incredibly sorry for us when they heard that we were moving to Groningen. That was the pits in their view, we were also dreading it by the way. But we adapted quickly and had a wonderful childhood there.”
Education: “Montessori for the first 6 years of primary/grammar school at the 6th Montessori school in the Nierstraat, I believe it is now called the Anne Frank School. My 7th year was partly at the Open Air School in the Clio Straat, Amsterdam and after moving at the Koender(sborg)? school in Helpman. After this I attended the Dalton- HBS (higher vocational school), direction B, my final exam was in 1961. Dalton HBS is now called the Lorenz Lyceum I believe, but it is still located on the Helperbrink in Helpman. I then ‘studied’ sociology in Groningen (a.k.a. ‘I was registered’).
Career: “I started working at the Hollandsche Bank-Unie on December 1st, 1965 in Amsterdam as a trainee; January 1st 1968 I was sent to Willemstad, Curacao. “ Joost worked at the ABN (later ABNAMRO) bank until his early retirement, for this reason he lived as an expat in many different countries.
Countries lived in: The Netherlands; Curacao; St. Maarten, Curacao; Saudi Arabia; Iran; Ireland; Dubai (U.A.E.); Indonesia; Morocco; The Netherlands; South Africa (Johannesburg, later Franschhoek).
Marriage/Family: In 1970 Joost met a beautiful young blonde in St. Maarten, Petra Bakker. After a somewhat unconvincing start, a spark ignited and a "whirlwind romance" soon developed. Joost and Petra married on February 5th 1971 in Bloemendaal. In 1974 their daughter Heleen was born in Saudi Arabia, in 1976 their daughter Eva was born in Iran.
Grandchildren: Joost has remained surrounded by womenfolk since his marriage. Besides his wife and 2 daughters, two granddaughters later joined the family. Tjitske and Nora were born in 2007 and 2008 (respectively).
Sports: Hockey, golf, sailing and tennis. Joost still played tennis regularly, with great pleasure, until his last week.
Hobby’s: To play and also watch sports. Walking/cycling in nature. Solving Sudokus, playing Word Feud. Reading. And of course listening to music, Joost had a broad taste in music (from opera to Creedence Clearwater to Paul Simon to Bob Marley etc.) but Jazz (Ben Webster, Miles Davis etc.) remained his lifelong favorite.
