Anne Van Hoff, of North Haledon (formerly Prospect Park) passed away on November 27, 2012. She was 96 years old.
Born on April 6, 1916 in Burgwerd, the Netherlands, she was the daughter of the late Bartele and Antje (De Bruin) Reitsma.
She was the beloved wife of the late Richard Van Hoff.
A homemaker, Anne was a member of Unity Christian Reformed Church. She enjoyed reading, sewing, knitting, and crocheting doilies and afghans for her family and also for the “Warm Up America” project at The Holland Home.
She is survived by her children: Richard (Ruth) Van Hoff, Robert (Judy) Van Hoff, Nancy (Garry) Reenders, Dr. Jack (Barb) Van Hoff, and David (Joyce) Van Hoff; 17 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a brother, John Reitsma and a sister, Jennie Vermeulen.
Visitation will be on Saturday, December 1st, from 9:00-11:00 am at The Holland Christian Home, 151 Graham Ave., North Haledon, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 am. Interment Laurel Grove Memorial Park.
Memorial donations in Anne’s memory may be sent to The Holland Christian Home or Eastern Christian School Association.
A Tribute to Mom
Anne (Antje) was born on April 6, 1916 in Burgwerd, the Netherlands to Bartele and Antje Reitsma. Her father was a painter and an artist. In the summer of 1921 Anne and her brother John and sister Jennie joined their parents on the ship “Rotterdam” to immigrate to the United States, arriving at Ellis Island on July 22. After living a few years in Whitinsville Massachusetts the family settled in Prospect Park New Jersey. Anne attended 4th Street Christian School and Eastern Academy through the eighth grade. She continued her learning and love for reading at home until age 17 when she went to work at the Manhatten Shirt Factory where she excelled at sewing pockets. She made her profession of faith at Second Christian Reformed Church (now Unity CRC) where church was the hub of her social life. In 1937 she “met” Richard Van Hoff, her former eighth grade classmate, who became the love of her life. They married on December 12, 1941 just days after Pearl Harbor. Anne devoted her life to homemaking and raising their five children, born over 16 years. She and Rich sacrificed to provide a Christian education for their children and instilled in them a love for learning, later marveling that all their children went to college, a luxury not available to Rich and Anne. The dining room table was the center of their home, but they also took time to share their love of nature on Sunday afternoon walks and vacations at “the shore”. Anne continued sewing, knitting, and crocheting doilies and afghans for her children, and eventually her grand children and great grandchildren. In later years, her crocheted blankets went all over the world, starting with “Warm Up America”, to South Africa, Belarus, and beyond. After 47 years of marriage, her husband Richard passed away in 1988. Life together had centered on the church and their firm trust in God’s faithfulness, as Anne’s favorite verse in Psalm 100 says: “The Lord is good and his love endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations. “ In 2002 Anne moved to the Holland Christian Home where she was welcomed by a “family of friends”, renewing acquaintance with former classmates, and always eager to find church, family and community connections with fellow residents and staff. She quietly lived her faith, reaching out to others in care, concern and a kind word. Petite in frame, large in heart, she is dearly loved by her all her family.