John H. Engels

John Hubertus “Teddy” Engels was born to Johan and Melie Engels on February 8, 1931. He was the oldest of ten children.

John is survived by his wife of 67 years, Maria Engels (nee de Graaf), their four children, eight grandchildren, and eleven great grandchildren: Urho Engels- children Bryan Engels (spouse Tracy)- children Camilla and Warren, J Carroll - children Ellis and Gustavo, Caitlin Nitzberg (spouse Jonah) - child Emory; Michail “Milko” Engels (spouse Carolyn)- children Alexandra Patton (spouse Joshua)- child Scarlett, Michail Engels (spouse Paige)- child Judson; Alan VJS Engels (spouse Bonnie) - children Amanda Burkman (spouse Matthew)- children Caden, Jase, Miles, and Ella, Andy Engels; and Daniel Engels - child Tristan.

John was fascinated by his lineage and wanted to ensure his descendants understood where they came from. Many times he shared documents with his children and grandchildren describing their ancestors to ensure their legacy would carry on. In his own words, he described his early years as:

“The origins of the Engels family is from Nijmegen in the Netherlands and from Kleve in Germany.

Indonesia, which has been a colony of the Netherlands for about 300 years, was at one time called the Netherlands East Indies, with the capital city 'Batavia' on the island of Java.

My grand-father who was stationed in Northern Sumatra, serving in the Dutch Army in the early 1900's, married an Indonesian woman from Menado (a city on the island of Celebes or Sulawesi).

On my mother's side, her father is from Belgium, who married an Indonesian woman from central Java, Surakarta or Solo, who was a daughter of one of the wives of the sultan of that region.

My grand-father and his brothers owned a large sugar plantation until the war with Japan started in 1942.

My father worked as an official of the Dutch (Holland) government. So we traveled quite a lot. We lived in Eastern Java, Central Java, Western Java, South Sumatra, Central-West Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, and of course also in the Netherlands (Holland) about 3 times. (in the 1930's and later in the 1950's).”

He immigrated to the USA with his wife and two oldest sons in 1960 and settled in New Rochelle, NY, where they had two more sons while building a life in the community. He returned to school several times to achieve a Masters Degree in Gerontology, he was working towards a Doctorate in the same field. After 9/11, he volunteered as a grief counselor for survivors of the attack. In 2003, they moved to Aurora, CO, where they have lived since.

One thing that will most be remembered is his care for the communities and people that lived around them. He volunteered at local churches, nursing homes, the citizen’s police, and more.

More importantly, he was deeply and profoundly a family man. This is evident in his desire to understand his heritage and lineage as well as in his frequent travel to participate in important milestones across the world for family and friends, alike.

His great-grandchildren remember a man who smiles and doted adoringly, a grandfather who was tolerant, kind, and always remembered important dates. His grandchildren lovingly remember a thoughtful, generous, faithful man who loved deeply and was gentle and strong. His children remember a father who was the pillar of a family unit, a man who grew and changed with age in loving ways, and a brave man who did what was needed to provide and care for his family. His wife shared a home with a man who provided, who was faithful, and who loved and adored her until the very end.

His brothers and sisters remember their oldest brother for his love, compassion, wisdom, and devotion to family and God. His countless nieces and nephews will also remember a man who always had time for them, who maintained contact and showed genuine interest in them, and who was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. The communities that he worked in will also miss the selfless man who sought positive change in communities, who loved and encouraged community members, who gave generously of his time, and who thoughtfully did everything he could in order to bring joy and peace to all those in his sphere of influence.

We know that his absence will be felt long and wide and is a testament to the love, life, and legacy of a great man- a man who adapted to life as the years passed, who lived exhibiting selfless service, who loved deeply and openly, and who faithfully lived knowing that he would be joining a chorus of angels with his Heavenly Father- and it is this grace, faith, and love that fill his family and friends with joy during this sad time.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a financial contribution to services by contacting Alan V. J. S. Engels.