Evert Derk Temminck, age 65, passed from this earthly life on June 29, 2019, in Dallas, Texas.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Garcia-Temminck, of Tucson, Arizona; his daughters, Yénnie and Jessica, of Conakry, Guinea; and his brothers, Harry and Gerard, of The Netherlands. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jenny ten Napel-Temminck and Pieter Arie Temminck, of The Netherlands.

Born in The Hague, The Netherlands, Evert lived an extraordinary life across six countries—The Netherlands, Canada, Sierra Leone, France, Mali, Guinea, and the United States. After spending ten years in Canada and becoming certified in Automotive and Semi-Truck Mechanics in Thunder Bay, he later attended Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he earned a degree in Biblical Studies.

Evert came from a deeply religious Dutch Protestant family and carried that legacy into his life’s work. He began his missionary service with the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), first in Sierra Leone as an evangelist. After evacuating due to civil war, he continued his ministry in Mamou, Guinea. There he met Barb, the love of his life. They married in 1998 and welcomed their two daughters in 1999 and 2001.

He joined Pioneer Bible Translators, where he served for 18 years in Guinea as a mechanic, evangelist, and support missionary. He was affectionately known as the keeper of “his fleet”—a collection of Toyota Land Cruisers he maintained to keep missionaries safe across harsh West African terrain. Two of those vehicles, “Fred” and “Rapunzel,” were his pride and joy.

A passionate historian and intellectual, Evert loved fiery debates and deep conversations about world history—especially the Ottoman Empire, Winston Churchill, postwar Europe, and the corruption of the Vatican. He loved Jesus, his Bible, and his family with a fierce and joyful heart. He was endlessly creative, often building, fixing, or inventing something for his family or community. At home, he was a father, mechanic, electrician, plumber, architect, and storyteller. He was known in Conakry for the powerful air horn he installed in his Land Cruiser—to make traffic part and to let his daughters know he was waiting at the school gate.

Those who knew him will remember his thick Dutch accent, his gray floppy hat, his car-grease scent, and his well-worn shorts and t-shirts. He adored dropjes (Dutch licorice), loved both of his countries, and was endlessly proud of his daughters.

Even during his three-year battle with brain cancer, he never stopped praying, building, teaching, or loving. As he once told his daughters, quoting The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom:

“Death is like a train. The Lord will give you your ticket when you are ready.”

On June 29, 2019, he got his ticket. He is finally Home.

“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.” — Luke 20:38

Tot ziens, Papa.

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