Carl Joseph Stockmann (1936 – 2023)

It was with great sadness we received the news of the passing of my mother’s oldest brother, Carl Stockmann. In addition to being my uncle, he was also a highly treasured Godfather for me over 54 years. Carl and his wife, Mieke Stockmann-Aldenhuijsen have played a central role in my life from the very beginning when they became my godparents at my baptism in the Catholic Church ‘Laurentiuskerk’ of Vierlingsbeek in the Netherlands. I was baptised together with my cousin, Jeanne Stockmann, the daughter of Carl and Mieke and born eight days ahead of me on May 23, 1969. Carl and Mieke have always been very supportive both financially when needed, and by showing up at important events like our wedding party in Sweden and at my Ph.D. defence in Iceland. I believe they most of all enjoyed visiting me when I was living in Toulouse, Southern France. Carl was a teacher in French (and Latin) and gave me French books to study from early on in life. Regrettably, my French language skills could be better but I did manage the most essential conversations during my stay in France. Many of my childhood summers were spent at Carl and Mieke’s place in Vierlingsbeek, where I played with my cousins Ynte, Jeanne, and Johan. This is also how I learned Dutch, playing with my cousins. The funeral will take place from the Petrus Canisiuskerk, Molenstraat 37, in Nijmegen on June 7 at 10:30.