Maarten van Hengel dies at 79
This was sent to the Island Office and was originally printed on Dec. 31 2006 in the Journal News.
By LANNING TALIAFERRO
THE JOURNAL NEWS
Maarten van Hengel, an investment banker dedicated to community service and Dutch-American relations, died Friday. He was 79.
A resident of Scarborough and Fishers Island, van Hengel was a director of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the United States, the Netherland-America Foundation, the Donald R. Reed Speech Center, Phelps Memorial Hospital, the Stellaris hospital consortium and Kendal-on-Hudson.
Born in Amsterdam, van Hengel was educated in Austria, Switzerland and Holland.
After the end of World War II, he started his banking career in Amsterdam and also studied the business in London, Montreal and New York. He immigrated to the United States and joined Brown Bros. Harriman & Co. in 1950.
He was appointed a manager of the firm in 1960, became a general partner in 1968 and oversaw the firm's investment management business as chief investment partner during the 1970s and 1980s. He started and was chairman of the Brown Bros. Harriman Trust Companies.
"He was a giant, a born leader," said Elbridge Gerry, a partner at Brown Bros. Harriman. "He could handle difficult times, difficult situations and difficult people. He led by example. He was the kind of person you just had to respect."
He was associated with Phelps for more than 30 years, serving twice on the board, including a term as chairman, and working to guide expansion projects from the nurses' residence to the medical office building and culminating in the development of the Kendal life care community.
He made his mark in Dutch-American relations through his activities as a director of The Netherland-America Foundation from 1988 to the present and as its chairman from 1994 to 1998.
He was a strong proponent of education. Through his position as president of the Wilhelmina Foundation, he arranged an endowment to fund post-graduate scholarships for Dutch students at American universities.
Among his awards and honors, he was presented the Peter Stuyvesant Award in 1991 by Her Royal Highness Margriet, princess of the Netherlands; was honored by the New York City Council in 2001; was given the K. Terry Dornbush Award in 2003 by the Netherland-America Foundation; and was named a knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2004.
He kept his family at the core of his life. He was also known for his commitment and dedication to his many interests, including sailing, the piano, tennis and golf - "a zest for life paired with very thoughtful views," said his niece Leentje van Hengel of Amsterdam.
He married Drusilla Drake Riley in December 1951, right before leaving for Korea, where he served in the U.S. Army and earned the American Spirit Honor Medal.
He became a citizen of the United States in 1955.
He was a member of India House Inc., of which he was a governor, The Netherlands Club of New York, Sleepy Hollow Country Club, and the Fishers Island and Hay Harbor clubs, both on Fishers Island.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Virginia Loughlin and Drusilla van Hengel; two sons, Maarten and Hugh van Hengel; and five grandchildren.
Memorial services are being planned.
See all posts on Obituaries