14/09/2024
Former EO chairman and presenter Arie van der Veer has passed away. He died on Saturday at the age of 82 in the presence of his wife and children, the EO announced.
Van der Veer was chairman of the EO between 1990 and 2008 and vice-chairman of the NOS between 1991 and 1998. At the EO he was also active as a presenter of, among others, NNetherlands Sings, The Chapel in The Netherlands Sings on Sunday. Van der Veer was also a minister of the Christian Reformed Church. When he retired from the EO in 2008, he was awarded the title of Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
“From the heart of faith, Arie brought together reformed and evangelical,” says Jaap Kooij, deputy director of the EO. “Despite more than thirty years of service at the EO and his advanced age, Arie continued to share his wisdom and new insights from the Bible with us. In this way, he was faithful to the mission of the EO until his last day: telling stories about God’s love for everyone.”
Health problems
In recent years, Van der Veer has struggled with health problems several times. He was diagnosed with cancer three times and suffered a stroke in 2018.