He really wanted to go to bed, but Rob van Bommel, 74, from Dalerveen, was stopped by his daughter in Australia. To his great surprise, Mayor Renzi Bergsma was able to give him a digital tape.
“I'm stunned. Normally I'm at a loss for words, but now…” Van Bommel murmured on a Friday afternoon on the other side of the world. He lives with his daughter Linda, who lives an hour's drive from Canberra, and who turns 44 today.
“He's colouring, too,” said his wife Nell, who watched from the council chamber in Covorden as the mayor lavished praise on him via video link.
“Today is a special day in the Netherlands,” Bergsma began. “I've been meeting all morning with people who have done extraordinary things for the community. And you are one of them.” The penny dropped for Van Bommel, but all that came out of his lips were the words “wonderful.”
Super volunteer
Rescue Brigade activities in both Nijmegen and south-eastern Drenthe, bus trips for the residents of De Schutze, and efforts to install fiber optics everywhere in the municipality of Coevorden; The list of accomplishments is impressive. “And it's never too much for you. You always go above and beyond. And at the same time you're humble by nature. Super volunteer. Huge,” the mayor exclaimed.
He agreed with Van Bommel to attach the tape to him upon his return to the Netherlands. “Let's have a party after all.” He was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Go out into the wide world
Nell van Bommel had returned earlier from Australia because she had to take care of the dogs. Their two daughters live in Australia. “Yes, we're guilty of that,” Neil admitted. “We have lived in Africa with our family for about fifteen years. Once they returned to the Netherlands, the two daughters wanted to go out into the wider world.
“I found it very oppressive in the Netherlands,” Linda explained. “Life in Australia is freer. The people are exceptionally friendly.”
