Gert's gentle balance as an athlete, a scientist and a person made him an instant friend to many wherever he went. He is beloved to many in Belgium, where he grew up in Antwerp and studied biochemistry at Ghent in 1992; in Leicester, England, where he earned a Master's Degree in molecular toxicology and pathology in 1995; and in Liverpool, England, where he earned a doctorate in molecular biology in 1999.
He met his future wife in Chapel Hill, NC, where both were engaged in postdoctoral studies. For the past eight years, after suffering a stroke following brain surgery in 2006, his life was enriched and sustained by unfailing and constant encouragement and love from his wife, Kara, as well as the support of so many strong and loyal friends he made on playing fields, in academics, and in his work. Kara continued the blog Gert began before his first surgery, which he called "Gert's Big Dig," which became a wonderful way for friends and family everywhere to stay connected and supportive. At Johns Hopkins, Bayview as well as in rehabilitation and therapy programs in DC, Gert somehow managed to become everyone's favorite, with his kindness, gentle manner, a lovely and brilliant mind, a keen wit, and a sixth sense for the ironic and absurd.
Interment St Mary's Cemetery, Rockville, MD. Published in The Washington Post on Dec. 18, 2013
Gert's gentle balance as an athlete, a scientist and a person made him an instant friend to many wherever he went. He is beloved to many in Belgium, where he grew up in Antwerp and studied biochemistry at Ghent in 1992; in Leicester, England, where he earned a Master's Degree in molecular toxicology and pathology in 1995; and in Liverpool, England, where he earned a doctorate in molecular biology in 1999.
He met his future wife in Chapel Hill, NC, where both were engaged in postdoctoral studies. For the past eight years, after suffering a stroke following brain surgery in 2006, his life was enriched and sustained by unfailing and constant encouragement and love from his wife, Kara, as well as the support of so many strong and loyal friends he made on playing fields, in academics, and in his work. Kara continued the blog Gert began before his first surgery, which he called "Gert's Big Dig," which became a wonderful way for friends and family everywhere to stay connected and supportive. At Johns Hopkins, Bayview as well as in rehabilitation and therapy programs in DC, Gert somehow managed to become everyone's favorite, with his kindness, gentle manner, a lovely and brilliant mind, a keen wit, and a sixth sense for the ironic and absurd.
Interment St Mary's Cemetery, Rockville, MD. Published in The Washington Post on Dec. 18, 2013
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