It is with heaviness in our hearts that we share on November 28th, our beloved dad passed away unexpectedly while swimming in Curaçao.

He was a seemingly healthy 65 year old father & cherished grandfather. He suffered cardiac arrest while swimming in a lagoon. Loving people got him out of the water and performed immediate CPR, ambulance arrived with the defibrillator, but after 45 relentless minutes of trying, they were still unsuccessful.

We are still in shock and trying to navigate the heartbreak while also figuring out the practical steps that come with losing a parent so far from home.

Everyone who knew our father, knew how much joy and love he brought into the lives of those around him. An incredibly happy and beautiful soul. He had just moved to the island and was very eager to find new friends & build a new life for himself.

We are creating this fundraiser to help our all sorts of expenses to handle everything that needs to be done.

Because this happened overseas, the costs will become overwhelming very quickly — last-minute international flights, , transportation, time away from work, and the expenses involved in caring for his remains.

We (his three children) will need to fly to Curaçao as soon as possible, potentially stay for several weeks, and work closely with officials and funeral services.

My husband will also need to take time off work to stay home with 3 of our children while I travel.

If you feel called to help, any amount truly means the world to us. Your support will ease an enormous burden and allow us to focus on grieving, honoring our dad, and bringing closure to a situation we never imagined facing.

Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your kindness toward our family.

We are deeply, deeply grateful.

May you rest in eternal peace Papa

words won’t ever be enough.

We love you so much and miss you so much it hurts