Oldest TNO Pension Fund participant: almost 111 years old
On a surprisingly sunny day in February in Bloemendaal, we visited TNO Pension Fund's oldest participant: Jan van Ierland.
Just back from his daily walk, Jan van Ierland is sitting in his room. His partner Anneke Sutherland, herself over 80, gives him a glass of juice and places it on his walker standing in front of him. Anneke makes sure he gets enough to drink. They take a walk together every afternoon. That walking is not for nothing. When Jan van Ierland turned 65, he had asked his GP what he should do to stay fit. Walk, the GP had said. So, no matter what the weather, Jan has gone for a walk every day since and was even a long-distance hiker. Although the walks are of course much shorter now than they used to be, he still loves being outside and walking every day, Anneke says.
TNO Rijswijk
These days, Jan van Ierland’s hearing and sight are poor. His short-term memory also no longer works optimally, Anneke says. Memories of the past surface more easily and Anneke offers him loving reminders where possible and is able to explain a few things. That way, we manage together. For instance, Jan van Ierland informs us that he worked in Rijswijk and his boss was "Chef sound” (Chief sound).
Physics and psychology
However, Jan did not work at TNO all his life. Back then, Anneke explains, Jan started his career at a psycho-technical consulting firm in Driebergen. That’s because Jan not only studied physics, but also psychology, and so he went to work there. After a few years, he joined TNO and moved to 't Haantje near Rijswijk. Probably also to return to the region where he enjoyed living during his student days.
Love of jazz and classical music
Jan van Ierland says that, in his Delft student days, he played the keyboard with a jazz band in The Hague. That was also the first music he remembers. Later, he started playing mainly classical music. We also talk a bit about his work, but memories of TNO do not come to mind at the moment. The fact that he was happy to retire at a certain point is clear because he emphatically agrees.
Jan van Ierland has been retired for 46 years now.
46 years of retirement
Jan van Ierland has been retired for 46 years now. Anneke says that when Jan retired, he visited many art exhibitions at home and abroad. His wife, Jopie, died some time ago, but Jan van Ierland continued to visit many fine exhibitions together with Anneke, such as a Jan Mankes exhibition at the Belvédère museum in Heerenveen. They also enjoy attending the annual art tour 'Open Stal' in Oldeberkoop. In his younger years, Jan van Ierland made lithographs. Anneke shows us some of his refined works depicting a feather and silver thistle. His teacher was none other than Aart van Dobbenburgh, whose self-portrait also hangs in Jan's room. Jan van Ierland received lessons from him when he took evening courses in graphic techniques alongside his work at the art academy in The Hague.
Debussy’s Rêverie
Clearly, music and art are close to his heart. After a few more questions about his work at TNO, retirement and music, which he indicates he might get back to later, he suddenly starts humming. He can’t identify the melody. He looks over at his electric piano with the sheet music for Debussy's Rêverie in the music stand. Are those the notes, or is it something else? He has enjoyed playing the piano all his life. Jan van Ierland starts to stand up. Anneke encourages him to play something, so he grabs his walker and walks to the piano. Once seated, his fingers glide over the keys and play a melody. Did he inherit his musicality from his parents? Not really, Jan van Ierland says. Although, his father did sing in a choir.
Together, they enjoy music, exhibitions and taking walks.
Once the weather turns nice...
Anneke, meanwhile, talks about how Jan played 'I can't give you anything but love' for her last October and how they met some 20 years ago. Her cousin Bernard, a college friend of his eldest son, who lived with her temporarily, played the violin and regularly visited to Jan van Ierland in Rijswijk to play music together. Anneke went along once and so the friendship with Jan grew. They have been in a LAT relationship for 20 years now. Together, they enjoy music, exhibitions and taking walks. She says to Jan van Ierland with a smile: "Once the weather turns nice again, you'll come and have dinner with me again, won’t you, Jan?" Jan may not be as young as he once was any more, but they make wonderful plans together.
Jan van Ierland is as much as 110 years old. That makes him the oldest Dutch man born in the Netherlands. On 5 May, he will turn 111.