René Hakkenberg van Gaasbeek    

28-09-1942 to 18-04-2022

 

René Hakkenberg van Gaasbeek, diving pioneer, builder of Bonaire’s salt works, and prodigious friend of the island, died of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis on April 14th in his home surrounded by family. Born in Curacao on September 28th, 1942 to Henri and Geertruida Hakkenberg van Gaasbeek, René was truly a child of the Antilles. His imprint upon Bonaire cannot be overstated.

     René was a diving pioneer and marine explorer who holds a distinct place in the history of scuba diving and marine conservation in the Antilles. René’s experiences in the underwater world were an integral part of the person he would become. After his father acquired proto dive tanks from Jacques Cousteau in Paris in the late 1940s, Henri, René and brother, Peter, rigged them with hoses and commenced what were likely the first scuba dives in the Antilles, and perhaps the whole Caribbean. Shortly after, the trio collaborated with Fred Fischer, the Austrian photographer, to fashion a housing for an underwater camera, bringing to the world the first underwater pictures of Bonaire’s marine bounty, which were detailed in “Caribisch Steekspel” (Hakkenberg 1955). In the 1960s and 1970s, René and friends embarked on a series of epic underwater adventures around the island when hammerhead sharks, enormous grouper, and schools of hundreds of barracuda were commonplace. On one of his spearfishing trips near Bopec, he glimpsed broken masts and anchor lines disappearing into the deep. He returned the following day with scuba tanks and discovered the sunken Windjammer. He would return many times in the years to come, guiding visitors like the marine explorer Hans Hass and the astronaut Buzz Aldrin, on deep dives to this and other treasures under Bonaire’s waters. His status as a marine explorer would see him consulting (and serving as stunt man) for movies shot on Bonaire, like "Shark’s Treasure" (1975), and guiding dive and snorkel trips with the likes of Dutch Prince Bernhardt. While spearfishing adventures were the initial catalyst for a life dedicated to preserving Bonaire’s marine resources, with dwindling sea life and damage from coral bleaching becoming an ever-present threat, he later devoted himself to the goal of marine conservation. He served, among other roles, as Treasurer of Bonaire National Park Foundation (Stinapa) and as the President of Bonaire’s Recompression Chamber.

     René was also a builder and an engineer. After earning his Masters in Civil Engineering from McGill University in 1968, René returned to the island and got to work building things. Perhaps best known for his work building and then managing Bonaire’s Salt Works for the International Salt Company’s (now Cargill), he would travel the world from China to Venezuela, from Indonesia to Turks and Caicos, to design and build solar salt plants. In the late 1970s, he built the Bonaire Beach Bungalows in Belnem, which would come to accommodate countless marine biologists and underwater photographers from all over the world. And most important, over almost 80 years, René built a family and community of friends on the island, leaving an indelible mark on those whose lives he touched. 

     René was also a great friend of Bonaire, giving his time, energy, and expertise to the island that gave so much to him. René devoted himself to philanthropy for those in need, while working tirelessly to get others to donate as well. The list of causes he fought for on Bonaire is long. In addition to Stinapa and the Recompression Chamber, René founded the organization Save the Lora, working with volunteers to feed the drought-stricken parakeets with old mangoes from Venezuela. He worked with Tene Bonaire Limpi (Keep Bonaire Clean), and the Maria Hoppner Foundation. He helped promising students gain access to education in Holland, and even served a stint as President of the Bonaire Jazz Festival, bringing international jazz musicians to the island while connecting local Bonairian artists and musicians to the broader world. But no cause was nearer to his heart than Jong Bonaire. As Co-founder and President, René helped steer Jong Bonaire for over 20 years, providing opportunities for hundreds of young adults across the island, and building momentum for the successful organization that is still going strong today. “I got help with my homework, and took part in activities that helped me develop personally and in my career,” said one graduate of the program. “Jong Bonaire helped me find my hidden talents”, said another. Because of his tireless work for the Bonaire community, René was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Benoemd tot Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau) in 2005. 

     René lived a tremendously interesting life - one of adventure, of building, and of giving. And even in terminal illness, René worked to help others suffering from the same lung disease that eventually took his life, co-authoring a book on the topic recently published in the USA. His memory on the island and in the world will live on in his son, Christopher, his wife, Soledad, and the countless lives he touched along the way. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Jong Bonaire or Adra Foodpantry Bonaire. In lieu of condolences at the home, a remembrance service will be held at La Birgin di Coromoto Catholic Church at 4 PM on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022.