We are saddened to report the death of long-standing ISfTE colleague Toon Dijkstra on April 26, 2017 after a long illness in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Toon attended the very first ISfTE Seminar in 1981 and was an active member during the 1970’s 80’s and 90’s. He organized two ISfTE Seminars, the first in 1987 and the second in 1994.
From the 1970’s to the early 1990’s Toon was the dean of a teacher education institution in Maastricht. During that time he was a frequent ISfTE presenter on issues of improving the effectiveness of teachers. In the early 1990’s Toon became the director of the European Orientation Center (EOC). As a division within the University of Maastricht, the EOC organized study programs that brought students from many countries to learn about finance, problem-based medical education, and Dutch schools. These programs were housed in Maastricht, but they arranged for students to travel throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Several ISfTE members recruited and accompanied groups of study abroad programs he organized. Toon was a gifted lecturer on issues in Dutch culture, the historical significance of events in the surrounding area, and the development and practice of Dutch education.
Toon Dijkstra was also a talented musician who could never pass a piano without sitting down to play some Mozart or Saint Saens.
Cory Lock, USA
