My dear friend Hypolite,
On Sunday, April 19 last, the good Lord called you home and on Friday, April 24, we said a final farewell to you.
Judging from the large number of people of all walks in life present at the service, one can only conclude that you must have touched this community in a very significant way.
Hypolite, although physically you are no longer with us today, I feel obliged to write this tribute to you.
I do this because I had the privilege of knowing you very well.
Our friendship goes back to 1958, when you and a number of students from St. Maarten and St. Eustatius came to Aruba, to further your secondary education at the then famous Abraham de Veer School in San Nicolas.
You joined me in the 7th grade of the MULO.
I recall that day vividly.
Myself and fellow students at that time, kind of took you students from St. Maarten and Statia ‘for granted' and we laughed at the way you all spoke English.
Upon your arrival in school, you were seriously lagging behind in a number of subjects, because, either you had not been introduced to them before, or the level on St. Maarten was not the same as on Aruba.
Particularly, that was the case for the German language, which you had never got on St. Maarten, chemistry and physics.
Lo and behold however, during the first report-term, we witnessed a ‘miracle'.
Not only did you, Hypolite ‘survived' the gap, you became the very best of the class there and then in EVERY subject.
This lead you never gave up.
Hypolite was ALWAYS the best in ALL classes in ALL subjects; he had absolutely NO weak subject whatsoever, which was truly amazing.
Initially, being a very keen student myself, I engaged in a healthy intellectual competition with Hypolite.
To my credit, I caught on very fast....my efforts were simply in total vain !
No matter what I did, no matter the subject, no matter how little Hypolite prepared for any test, Hypolite ALWAYS beat me.
Even when I would be at my best, and Hypolite at his worst, he still beat me totally convincingly.
That led me to admire Hypolite even more, without envying him.
I realized that he was extremely gifted and in a class by himself.
Still, Hypolite was an extremely humble person, who never bragged about his intellectual genius.
In 1961 we graduated together with his present wife Duane, and others from the MULO.
That year Hypolite graduated as the very best of the entire Netherlands Antilles.
We both left for further studies in Holland and kind of lost contact with each other there.
Eventually, I went on to obtain my university degree in Biology.
During my studies at the university, I met some of the brightest minds in Holland.
However, I can truthfully say, that I have NEVER met anyone whose intellectual ability, especially when it comes to mathematics, physics and chemistry, who has made such a lasting impression on me as, our beloved and recently departed Hypolite.
To me, he was the brightest mind I personally had ever come across .
Obviously that gene runs in the blood, because one of is sons Serge, graduated from the technical University of Delft at the tender age of 21 years.
That is an incredible feat even according to Dutch standard.
And just like his father, he remains a very respectful, non-assuming, humble and very professional.
Although I could go on and on and on, I hereby rest my case in sharing with the public what a great mind we have lost.
Hypolite, may your soul rest in eternal peace.
--
Leopold James
President SNBF & L'Esprit de Concordia
