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In memory of

Johan Pieter vanderKeyl

Belmont, MA, USA

August 25, 1954 - July 9, 2020

Aug 25, 1954 - Jul 9, 2020

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Johan Pieter vanderKeyl, aged 65, passed away on July 9, 2020 with his children by his side following a battle with brain cancer. Pieter, as he was known to family and friends, eschewed treatment in the fall of 2019, opting to spend his remaining time making memories with his children, grandchildren, and loved ones.

Pieter was born in Amersfoort, Netherlands to Pieter and Marie (Gillet) vanderKeyl on August 25, 1954. After immigrating to the United States, the family eventually made their home in Belmont where he ran track and pole vaulted at Belmont High School. Obsessed with space exploration and sci-fi as a child, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut before turning his attention to more terrestrial pursuits. During his highschool years, he began a lifetime love affair with muscle cars and would spend many a weekend taking apart and rebuilding engines in the hopes of coaxing out the power needed to impress friends drag racing around town. Later, he legitimized his hobby by winning stock car races at New England Dragway.

He earned his degree in Business Administration from Bryant and Stratton Business Institute before starting a general construction company. A capable and talented carpenter, Pieter’s business grew to include entire neighborhoods as proof of his skill piqued the interest of nearby homeowners. He often joked he was a prisoner of a certain Acton neighborhood - having worked on more than a dozen houses on a single street within a five year period. However, Pieter’s reputation as a talented carpenter was occasionally tempered by his other superpower: the gift of chat.

In his 65 years, Pieter never met a person he couldn’t talk to. He loved sharing his own stories and listening to others. More than anything, he liked to talk about his time working at Star Market, his experiences at his beloved Lake Winnipesaukee, old and new muscle cars (even to those who didn’t know what a 432 block motor was), and his infinite knowledge of random trivia. Though his own stories became well-worn in their retelling, his willingness to listen made him the default keeper of family lore and he could always entertain by dusting off a secondhand story from previous generations.

Pieter was a loyal and caring father, friend, son, and brother. As a father, he was always thrilled when he found ways that he could make his interests intersect with his kids’: coaching his children’s sports teams when they were young, showing them how to waterski, teaching them to drive as (almost) sixteen-year-olds, and helping them to work on their own houses later in life. He lovingly cared for both of his parents until their passing, caring for his mother until her death in fall of 2019 despite his own decline.

Pieter was married to Lois Walter (Bellantoni) for more than twenty years and together they raised four children who survive him: Lauren (Ian) St. George of Newburyport, Maria (Sean) McDonough of Littleton, John (Danielle) vanderKeyl of Milford, and Bethany (Joshua) LaClair of Plymouth. He was also an adoring opa to eight grandchildren: Eleanor, Maeve, Elliott, Johanna, Quincy, Esme, Willemina, and Theo, who basked in his steadfast love and endless knowledge of 60s cartoon jingles.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Pieter remained exceptionally optimistic and cheerful, choosing to spend his time focusing on the happiness and beauty around him. This was not out of character, as Pieter had a knack for finding the beauty in the mundane: a ride on the train (one of his favorite pastimes), a sunny day, a vanilla ice cream cone, an ice cold Moxie, or a meandering car ride through the lovely back roads of New England.

In his last months, Pieter delighted in spending time with his children and grandchildren and never missed a get-together even if it meant stubbornly walking nine miles from the nearest train station.

Pieter will be missed by many, but none more than his four children and his grandchildren.

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