AMSTERDAM – In recent years, I have written many obituaries about people who were active in (international) baseball and/or softball. All of them were colorful individuals who contributed greatly to our sports and deserved a look back at their (long) careers.
But writing this In Memoriam has been the most difficult and emotional experience of my life, because it is about my own dear father.
Coen Stoovelaar, a beloved and respected figure on the baseball and softball fields, passed away early Wednesday morning, October 16, following a brief and unexpected illness, two months after turning 92.
The memorial service for Coen Stoovelaar will take place on Thursday, October 24, starting at 1:30 p.m. in the Vondel Auditorium at Crematorium Westgaarde, located at Ookmeerweg 275 in Amsterdam. Afterward, there will be an opportunity to offer condolences to the family.
There will also be an opportunity to pay your respects from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, at Crematorium Westgaarde in Amsterdam.
Coenraad Frederik (Coen) Stoovelaar, who was born on August 15, 1932, in Amsterdam, has held various positions since the late 1960s, including that of (national) baseball umpire and board member of the then Rayon Amsterdam. For many years, he also served as team manager of the Amsterdam Pirates baseball team, the club of which he was a member for 55 years and held various positions over the years.
Coen Stoovelaar also served as the public address announcer for many years, and not only at Pirates games; he was also one of the announcers during the 1986 World Baseball Championship in the Netherlands and during the first editions of the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam. He was also a staff member of the Haarlem Baseball Week for 25 years.
Text and Photo: Marco Stoovelaar