Vale Dr Klaas de Jonge
| Station | Year | Season |
| Casey | 1979 | Winter |
| Macquarie Island | 1984/85 | Summer |
Regret to inform the Club re the passing of Dr Klaas de Jonge.
Klaas de Jonge, MO Casey 1979 winter, Macquarie Island 1984/85 summer, died of cancer in July this year. He was 74 years of age.
Klaas played a leading role in the rescue of electrician Geoff Reeve from Robinson’s Ridge after he got lost in a blizzard. Despite the best efforts of Klaas and the medical team, Geoff died of exposure and hypothermia.
During the five month summer at Macquarie Island from October 1984 to March 1985, Klaas joined in many station activities and was always keen to help others. When venturing into the field it was usually to assist in the biology program. An accomplished cook, he was the first person to volunteer to cook for a week while the station chef enjoyed his first field trip of the year. At a fancy dress party he was a huge hit when he appeared in an angel outfit complete with wings that could actually be flapped by pulling on hidden cords. While on station he usually dressed in white bib and brace overalls that his wife had embroidered with flowers and walked around barefoot. As a GP with a medical practice at Bicheno, Tasmania, he was a long term resident of Picanniny Point where he and his wife raised a family on a rural property and where guests were always welcome. Denise Allen, Met Obs MI ’85, remembers Klaas as “one of the true gentle souls of our group”
RIP Klaas.
email received from Trevor Cowell, 4 September 2021
