In memory of those who “died suddenly” in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belarus, Spain and Croatia, December 12-December 19
Belgian composer Wim Henderickx, reality TV star Marcel; Dutch TV producer Han Peekel; German trance producer DJ Shog, pet dealer Norbert Zajac; Spanish singer Laura Jordan; & more
FRANCE
A doctor "died suddenly":
Doctor Thierry Stephan, general practitioner in Bourges, is dead
December 17, 2022
General practitioner in Bourges, doctor Thierry Stephan died suddenly, this Friday, December 16. He was 60 years old. His colleague and partner, Doctor François Dessus, spoke on Saturday of "both a very great gentleman of medicine and an extraordinary guy, really fabulous". "It's a huge loss," added Dr. Dessus, very moved. “I still can't quite believe it. I am devastated." Doctor Thierry Stephan had studied at the Faculty of Medicine of Lyon, from which he graduated. He had started his career as a military doctor. First in the field, then he had practiced at the Military Schools, in Bourges.
No cause of death reported.
Three “died suddenly” from heart attacks:
Seine-et-Marne: he dies of a heart attack in the TGV
December 13, 2022
The TGV which linked Lausanne, Switzerland, to Paris Gare de Lyon, was immobilized for several hours on Monday, December 12, in Seine-et-Marne. The train had to stop at 3:45 p.m. on the Marolles-sur-Seine relief track, in order to allow the SMUR and the firefighters to rescue a 51-year-old man, victim of a heart attack. Despite attempts at resuscitation, the man in his fifties died at the scene. He was domiciled in La Chapelle-Basse-Mer, in Loire-Atlantique. Rail traffic was able to resume around 6:15 p.m. The same day, around 12:30 p.m., another TGV had been stopped at Marolles-sur-Seine for another illness on board. This time, the victim's condition was not serious. She was nevertheless taken care of by the emergency services before being evacuated to the Montereau-Fault-Yonne hospital.
Pas de Calais. 40-year-old hunter dies in his lodge after suffering cardiac arrest
December 15, 2022
A hunter died on the night of Tuesday December 13 to Wednesday December 14, 2022, in Clairmarais (Pas-de-Calais), near Saint-Omer. The 40-year-old man suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest while in his hut. Alerted, the firefighters intervened around midnight. A team from SMUR de Calais was also dispatched to the scene. A cardiac massage was given to the victim but he could not be revived, indicate our colleagues. He was declared dead. A judicial police officer went to the scene and an investigation should soon be opened. This will have to determine the exact circumstances of the death.
Drôme: a runner dies of cardiac arrest during the Facteur trail in Hauterives
December 17, 2022
While the Trail du Facteur race was being held in the city of Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives this Saturday, December 17, a 59-year-old runner suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation attempts by a civilian volunteer firefighter, the man died.
No cause of death reported.
Killed in a “vaxxident”:
Motorist succumbs to cardiac arrest in Allier
December 18, 2022
The car of the 50-year-old man was found in a ditch on the edge of a forest, at a place called Les Bois Francs. He was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived, the man could not be resuscitated. This resident of Louroux-de-Bouble died on the spot. No other vehicle was involved in the accident.
No cause of death reported.
BELGIUM
Composer Wim Henderickx died suddenly
December 18, 2022
There are many sad and shocked reactions to the death of the Antwerp composer, percussionist and teacher Wim Henderickx (60). He was one of the most important contemporary composers in our country. Earlier this year, his successful opera “De bekeerlinge” premiered at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, based on the novel by Stefan Hertmans. He calls him a "sweet, beautiful flare, beautiful soul, irreplaceable generous friend". The composer has received high praise from fellow musicians, composers, concert organizers and students. The Antwerp conservatory, where he taught, says he was "an inspiration in the purest sense" to his students, an "incredible musical genius with a warm and open personality". Henderickx wrote music for all major Belgian orchestras. In 2008, the compulsory piece for the Queen Elisabeth Competition for singing, "Canzone", was written by him. He also taught at the conservatories of Antwerp and Amsterdam.
No cause of death reported.
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2022/12/18/componist-wim-henderickx/
Marcel from Hotel Romanticism suddenly passed away
December 15, 2022
One announces via Instagram that Marcel, 83, one of the participants in the most recent season of Hotel Romantiek, has passed away. "We just learned of the death of Marcel, one of the beloved participants of Hotel Romantiek. We wish his family and friends a lot of warmth," we read on the Instagram page of One. Marcel was still very active: he was in a cycling club, went swimming every week and walked five kilometers every day to get his newspaper. His death is completely unexpected. "Last Wednesday we were still together with the group. We will miss him! Rest in peace dear Marcel", Brigitte responds, excited.
No cause of death reported.
https://www.showbizzsite.be/nieuws/marcel-uit-hotel-romantiek-plots-overleden-1666132
Luc De Schepper, 65, has died
December 20, 2022
Hasselt - The sudden death of former rector of UHasselt Luc De Schepper (65) leaves a deep impression. “I spoke to him this weekend, his sudden death touches us deeply,” says Rector of Hasselt University Bernard Vanheusden.
No cause of death reported.
https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20221220_95084847
Reported on December 12:
MSC in deep mourning after Glenn Godecharle's sudden death
December 12, 2022
Glenn Godecharle, regional operations manager at MSC Belgium, passed away unexpectedly this weekend. “This is an incredibly heavy loss for MSC and the maritime community,” said a devastated CEO, Marc Beerlandt. "We are losing one of the 'founding fathers' of MSC in Belgium", Beerlandt realizes. “Glenn has been part of our MSC family for over thirty years. With him you could take that concept of family literally, because he was a single person without direct relatives. We were his family. He was known as the gentleman. I can't describe him better than as the man of the connection. He was a lover. Not a fighter. The disappointment is very great. Not only at MSC in Belgium. But certainly also in Geneva where Glenn was very much loved. The whole community mourns. My message about his death on LinkedIn has already been read 70,000 times after a day.”
No cause of death reported.
Franky Vanderheeren, 66
December 13, 2022
Franky Vanderheeren passed away completely unexpectedly on Thursday 8 December. While performing a friend service, the 66-year-old man collapsed. All help came too late. “Franky was a real friend of people. He was there for everyone,” says his wife Catherine.
No cause of death reported.
Johny Boriau, 68
Died totally unexpectedly at home on December 12, 2022.
No cause of death reported.
https://www.zorgvooruitvaart.be/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2213972-Johny-Boriau-K19.pdf
THE NETHERLANDS
Television producer Han Peekel has passed away. His daughter has confirmed reports of his death. Peekel, who turned 75 two months ago, died unexpectedly yesterday of a heart attack while on holiday in Bali
December 14, 2022
Peekel was on the Indonesian island with his sister Mireilla (79) to visit his daughter Jojanneke. She called her sister Cato-Margo to tell them that their father had been hospitalized. “Because he didn’t trust how he felt,” Cato-Margo, who is still in the Netherlands, tells ANP. Not much later, Peekel passed away. “If it had been someone else, I might not have contacted the press. But my dad always wanted to do everything with a bang. So now I’m happy to do that for him.” The born Rotterdammer, who was the last to interview Peter R. de Vries and who always wore a bow tie, became known in the 1980s and 1990s as a presenter of the AVRO program To be continued, in which children did impersonations of Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker and Roadrunner. He was the face of the program for no less than seventeen years and stood out because of his brightly colored jackets and his cheerful bow. Peekel was approached about the comics program for years to come. “Then I’m in a restaurant and suddenly a grown man stands at my table to spontaneously imitate Donald Duck or Woody Woodpecker,” he said in an interview with this site last year.
Schagen - Ria Bakker passed away suddenly last weekend.
December 19, 2022
Ria was a well-known figure in Schagen. For 6 years she was one of the Toilet Thea's who provided the weekly cheerful note in De Muziektuin. She performed regularly with De Accordeonlady's. The song 'Rot sind die rosen' has been viewed almost 6 million times on Youtube. Ria was married to Henk Bakker. “She was my right hand. Positivity was her strength,” he says. Ria spent her life working in healthcare as a special care assistant. She specialized in people with dementia. Ria was unexpectedly struck by heart failure. She was only 69 years old. With her, Schagen loses one of the happiest faces.
https://noordkopcentraal.nl/in-memoriam-ria-bakker/
In Memoriam: Peter Steenmetz (DOSL)
December 18, 2022
On Monday, December 12, we received the news of the sudden death of Peter Steenmetz (66). This death was very unexpected and deeply affected the association, but certainly also the DOSL selection. Last Sunday (December 11), in DOSL's away match against Tuldania, Peter offered a helping hand. After colliding with an opponent, a Tuldania player swallowed his tongue and threatened to choke. This was prevented by adequate action by Peter. So much praise to Peter, with a tragic sequel. The next morning, Peter suddenly passed away. A great contrast: first a saving angel and a day later his death.
No cause of death reported.
https://amateurvoetbaleindhoven.nl/in-memoriam-peter-steenmetz-dosl
GERMANY
Trance idol of the 2000s DJ Shog (46) died unexpectedly
December 17, 2022
Multiple media reports report that DJ Shog has died. He was 46 years old. The German, whose real name was Sven Holger Greiner, became known for his trance hits of the 2000s. These always found their way into the German charts. Several chart successes for DJ Shog Several companions were shocked and expressed their sympathy on social media. His two most successful songs were "Another World" (2003) and "This Is My Sound" (2002).
No cause of death reported.
https://www.nau.ch/people/welt/trance-idol-der-2000er-dj-shog-46-unerwartet-gestorben-66371501
Duisburg: Largest pet dealer in the world Norbert Zajac dies at the age of 67
December 15, 2022
Norbert Zajac, owner of the well-known pet shop, has died, his company announced. He was 67 years old. Kathi Geven, member of the Zajac management, told the "Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" that he died "quite suddenly and unexpectedly" in the St. Johannes Hospital in Hamborn. Zajac was in the hospital because he wasn't feeling well. His death was still "completely" surprising. Zajac's 13,000 square meter shop in the north of Duisburg is in the Guinness Book of Records. According to his own statements, he offered a good 200,000 animals. Zajac also gained notoriety with Internet videos about everyday and exotic animals - his YouTube channel has been followed by almost 300,000 people. The specialist shop will now be continued by Zajac's wife, the company said.
No cause of death reported.
Dahme-Spreewald: Jette didn't make it – a firefighter with cancer died
December 18, 2022
Mourning for the Lübben firefighter Juliette Wegener: The 32-year-old lost the fight against blood cancer. She died in the hospital on Sunday morning, said Lübben's deputy commander, Stefan Player. There is a lot of participation in social networks. Her comrades and her family had hoped until the end that she could still make it. Confidence grew even more when a stem cell donor was recently found for her. There was already an appointment for the transplant, Juliette Wegener was to be operated on on December 23rd. But she was already feeling too bad, she was too weak for the procedure.
Norbert Schaaf passed away - the handball family in the country mourns
December 2022
The HSG Breckenheim Walla /Massenheim mourns the loss of Norbert Schaaf, who died suddenly and unexpectedly on December 10th, 2022 at the age of 67. Norbert Schaaf was active as a player for the SG Wallau/Massenheim. With him, the 1982/1983 season promotion to the 2nd Handball Bundesliga succeeded. After his active time, Norbert Schaaf kept in touch with SG Wallau/Massenheim. As a promoter and sponsor for youth handball, Norbert Schaaf was also connected to handball, and supported in particular the A youth of the HSG Wallau/Massenheim in the 2018/2019 youth league season. Handball in the region loses a handball enthusiast and always fair sports friend.
No cause of death reported.
https://hsgbwm.de/news/norbert-schaaf-verstorben-die-handballfamilie-im-laendchen-trauert/
Police find truck driver (55) dead in A1 parking lot
December 17, 2022
He is said to have been dead for a day when the police found the man in the Glindbusch motorway parking lot near Rotenburg (Wümme). The managing director of the forwarding company reported his employee missing to the police on Thursday. He no longer answered his cell phone: "Then the boss got restless and got in touch," says Heiner van der Werp from the Rotenburg police station in an interview with RTL. The truck driver was traveling on the A1 in the direction of Hamburg. Because the truck can be located via GPS, his boss knows that he must have been here last. "He asked us to go there," Heiner van der Werp continues. On site, they find the dead man in his driver's cab. The emergency doctor called can only determine the death of the man.
No cause of death reported.
Killed in a "vaxxident":
Driver faints at the wheel and later dies
December 18, 2022
A 59-year-old driver became unconscious at the wheel in a supermarket parking lot in Huchem-Stammeln and hit several other cars with his car. Witnesses pulled the man out of his car on Saturday after the medical emergency and began to revive him, the Düren police said. An ambulance later took over the resuscitation. However, the man later died in hospital.
No cause of death reported.
SWITZERLAND
Rowing Coach Robin Dowell Dies While Training
December 18, 2022
Obwalden - Robin Dowell, 40, coaches rower Jeannine Gmelin. For reasons that are still unclear, he died on Friday during a training session on Lake Sarnen, which he accompanied on the motor boat. How exactly her trainer died is not known, as PilatusToday writes. According to Swiss Rowing, this is “the subject of investigations by forensic medicine”. A corresponding autopsy is to be carried out in the coming days.
https://www.archyde.com/rowing-coach-robin-dowell-dies-while-training/
Elia Alessandrini (25) died in the pool while on vacation
December 17, 2022
Football Switzerland mourns Elia Alessandrini (25). The former YB junior, who last played at Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, died on Friday while on holiday with his girlfriend near Muscat, the capital of Oman. The terrible news reached the relatives on Friday around noon. As Blick learns from those close to the deceased, the tragedy happened in the presence of his girlfriend while swimming and diving in the pool, a few hours before the planned trip home to Switzerland. Alessandrini suddenly no longer appears, any medical help – even in the hospital – comes too late. The exact cause of death is not yet known.
NORWAY
Children's director in Oslo Hege Malterud has died
December 12, 2022
Hege Hovland Malterud was only 50 years old. She leaves a big, writes the Norwegian Children's and Family Agency (BFE) in Oslo on Monday afternoon. For four years, Malterud has been head of the agency, which is responsible for child welfare, foster homes and relief services for children with disabilities. Malterud was diagnosed with a serious cancer this summer, and has since undergone extensive hospital treatment and follow-up.
https://fontene.no/nyheter/barnedirektor-i-oslo-hege-h-malterud-er-dod-6.47.922711.b943548ce7
FINLAND
The mayor of Parkano, Jari Heiniluoma, 58, has died
December 15, 2022
The mayor of Parkano, Jari Heiniluoma, 58, has died. He passed away from a rapidly progressing illness on December 15. Parkano town hall has a flag of mourning today. “We honor the memory of the beloved manager and colleague and thank him for the contribution he made to the development of the city of Parkano. Our thoughts are now with his loved ones,” says the chairman of the city board, Klaus Myllymäki, in the press release. Jari Heiniluoma served as Parkano's city manager since 2013.
No cause of death reported.
DENMARK
Danish vacationer died on ski slope
December 18, 2022
A 51-year-old holidaymaker from Denmark died early on Saturday afternoon in Wagrain [Austria] on piste 17 (Flying Mozart 2). According to the report, the man was traveling with a 42-year-old Danish friend. The two drove a short distance separately and agreed to meet again in the area of the Almstadl ski hut. When the 42-year-old arrived at the meeting point, he saw his friend lying in the snow a little above the agreed place. Passing skiers immediately provided first aid and began resuscitation measures. The arriving rescue workers continued the measures, although the 51-year-old died while driving to the hospital. There are currently no indications of third-party fault. An autopsy will clarify the exact cause of death. A medical emergency is suspected.
https://www.sn.at/salzburg/chronik/wagrain-daenischer-urlauber-auf-skipiste-verstorben-131368486
BELARUS
Oleg Gulak, 56
December 17, 2022
Minsk - The Belarussian human rights defender has died suddenly at the age of 56. His death was reported by the leader of the Belarussian Helsinki Committee on Friday 16 December. Several days ago Gulak attended the award of the Nobel Prize to Alex Belyatsky in Oslo.
No cause of death reported.
https://ex-press.by/rubrics/obshhestvo/2022/12/17/umer-oleg-gulak
SPAIN
Laura Jordan, singer and teacher, dies
December 20, 2022
The singer Laura Jordan, the one who was one of the signings of OT when this program began to be produced by Gestmusic and went from TVE to Telecinco, has died, as reported on Monday on her official Twitter account by the program Operación Triunfo. Faced with such a surprise, many wonder what the singer died of. "The family of Operación Triunfo regrets the departure of Laura Jordan, OT voice teacher who has left us too soon. The warmest and most affectionate hug for her family and friends. DEP", the program has pointed out on its Twitter profile, without giving further details. When in doubt about what Laura Jordan died of, the cause is unknown. Because the young singer's previous pathologies were unknown, this question has assailed many users on social networks. In this sense, no message from the family or friends that give explanations of the reason for her death has been released either. Still, messages of condolences and support for them have spread all over the Internet. The Catalan, who was a voice teacher in the edition of 2005 edition of Operación Triunfo (a program from which singers like Soraya or Edurne came out, when it went from La1 to Telecinco), had previously worked as a singer in the program "La noche abierta" by Pedro Ruiz and had been a chorister for the Barcelona band Los Elefantes and Marcos Llunas.
No age or cause of death reported.
CROATIA
A first responder “died suddenly”
Reported on December 8:
An 18-year-old marine firefighter died suddenly
December 8, 2022
Marina is wrapped in black. 18-year-old firefighter Mladen Matijaš died suddenly. Members of the Marine DVD said goodbye to their member with an emotional message. 'When the eyes shed tears in disbelief and the lips fall silent, when the soul is torn apart and broken into a thousand pieces, can it be put together more?! Are you leaving too?! May that wonderful smile of yours cheer up the angels in the heavenly heights. Mute and shaken by the pain, we express our deepest condolences to the family and friends. Until we meet again; it's not goodbye, but goodbye', they said.
No cause of death reported.
I'm here.
I read them all.
That is my job.
Thank you Mark and thank you all you people that work to find and publish these untimely deaths from around the world.
These are all people not coming home for Christmas and who will not see the New Year - at least not physically.
Han Peekel has been morbidly obese since he became well known in the 1980s (and possible much longer). Considering his obesity and his age of 75, it's very difficult to determine whether the jab had any relation with his passing. His death may have been sudden, but I wouldn't call it unexpected. In fact, considering the average life expectancy for men of 81 years, I'd call it expected.
In sharp contrast, Elia Alessandrini's death is a very, very strong signal. As a professional athlete, he was young, healthy and fit. He's fine one moment and dives in the swimming pool, only to die suddenly and not resurface.