Arie Groenveld, 83, a resident of Manteca for 50 years, passed peacefully on June  26, 2009 of natural causes.

He was born on December 5, 1925 in Hoogkerk, the Netherlands to Reijer Groenveld and Petronella  (Nel) Groenveld-Kistemaker. Arie was the fifth of nine children and  grew up in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. He married Annie Nijholt in 1955  in Enschede, the Netherlands. They emigrated to the United States in  1956 and settled in the San Joaquin Valley.  Arie had several jobs,  often concurrently, before he became an insurance agent for the Woodmen  Accident and Life Co.  He continued his education, which had been  interrupted by World War II, and received his CLU degree. He had a very  successful career until his retirement in 1990. His hobbies were stamp  collecting, gardening and travelling the globe with Annie. He had a  very close bond with his friends in the “Kaart Club”, with whom  he played Klaverjas regularly. Arie served as a Commissioner on the  Manteca Planning Commission under his friend Mayor Ed Pitts. He also was a charter member of the Manteca Historical Society and was a docent  at their museum. The Rotary Club was one of Arie’s favorite activities.  

He was a charter member of the Manteca Rotary Club since 1959, which he served as President in 1976. Arie became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1984, an honor which was also later bestowed on Annie, his children  and their spouses.  He was devoted to his family, both immediate  and extended. Two of Arie’s brothers and a sister also emigrated to  California and all 21 family members got together regularly for holidays  and outings.  Arie will also be remembered as a fixture every morning  on Center Street, where he took his daily walk to the Post Office. His  ready smile and sense of humor never deserted him, even when his health  declined in his later years. He was a naturally inquisitive man with  many interests who always enjoyed acquiring knowledge and finding answers.  He often said of himself, “I’m not nosey; I just want to know everything.”

He is survived by his wife  of 54 years, Annie, and their son Reijer, his wife Lynn and their daughter  Telka Walser and her husband Jerry; grandchildren, Sloane Kathryn and  Reijer Arie Groenveld, and Jerry Reijer Walser; siblings Janie, Lena,  Marijt, Bert (Dini), Piet (Ethel), Nel (Joris) and Reijer (Barbara); and in-laws Wim Barske, Hans Nijholt (Tini) and Wimmie Nijholt-Mooiweer  and Cornelia Groenveld.

He was preceded in death by  his parents and his son Eric; father- and mother-in-law Geert Nijholt  and Akke Nijholt-Cloo. His brother Klaas, brothers-in-law Joost, Jaap, Cor, Joop and Gerrit (Jannie), sisters-in-law, Klaske Barske-Nijholt and Tine Bodaan-Nijholt  (Hans).

His family would like to extend  a special thanks to the staff of Meadowood SCU, for the extraordinary  care and friendship they extended to Arie while he was there and to  Hospice of San Joaquin and Edee Singer RN for her time and kindness.

A memorial service will be  held at P.L. Fry & Son Funeral Home, 290 N. Union Rd, Manteca at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2009, followed by a gathering of family and friends. Contributions  may be made to the Manteca Rotary Club Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 1009, Manteca Ca 95336. An online guest book  is also available for remembrances at www.plfryandson.com.