Cornelis Van Der Hoek

Cornelis "Kees" van der Hoek, age 77, of Ridgecrest CA, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Tuesday March 1, 2022. Known both as Kees (Case) and Dr. Vanderhoek, he served the community for over 30 years after moving to Ridgecrest with his family in 1984.

Born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 1944 to Aart and Jacoba during WWII, Kees grew up as a leftie in a world not designed for the left-handed. He became ambidextrous and wrote right-handed most of his life. He was a bright and curious child who loved animals – his bedroom was also the home to mice, snakes, and even a few wasps during his childhood. Growing up in post-war Europe, he survived diphtheria and a small explosion he and a friend set, that temporarily cost them their eyebrows and eyelashes. He became an avid reader at a young age, hiding under the table with just his book peeking out to catch the light, allowing him read late into the night. He told his family he wanted to be a professor when he grew up.

On July 10, 1969 he married Francina van Dongen. Throughout their marriage they enjoyed numerous hobbies together ranging from square dancing to Boy Scouts to ham radio. Together they raised 4 children and welcomed 8 grandchildren.

He received his MD from Erasmus University of Rotterdam in 1976. In 1980 he and his family moved to the United States when he accepted a fellowship at the Joslin clinic in Boston, MA for Diabetes and Metabolism. He later moved to Miami where he was a fellow in Nephrology, and then to Southern California where he was a Senior Fellow in Nephrology at the University of California, Long Beach. In 1984 the family moved to Ridgecrest where he joined Drummond Medical Group, and where he would later, in 2006, open up his own practice – Owens Peak Medical Clinic, with his wife joining him as the office manager. He closed this clinic in 2017 allowing the two of them to enjoy semi-retirement.

In 1990 he accepted his first Clinical Assistant Professor position at the University of Loma Linda, achieving his childhood goal of becoming a professor. He achieved many of the goals he sought, including learning new languages (he was fluent in many languages including Latin). While he did not achieve his goal of becoming a Chess Master, he passed his love of chess on to his children and grandchildren and hoped that one of them would find this success in chess.

In 1996 he moved to Biloxi, MS where he worked at the Biloxi VA and Naval Home for 5 years. He had told his children that there were two things that were never a waste of time or money – education and vacation. He practiced what he preached, and while living in MS he was accepted at Loyola New Orleans from which he received his law degree in 2000 and was admitted to the CA bar in 2001, making him an MD, JD.

In 2014, Dr. van der Hoek accepted the position of Medical Director at Bella Sera.

While in Ridgecrest, he was an active member of the Boy Scouts, and was a Wood Badge Wolf. He hiked Mt. Whitney annually until his stroke in 2008. He was an active member of Toastmasters and the local chess club.

He is survived by his wife Francina van der Hoek and sister Jenny van der Werff, his children Kees van der Hoek, Carolina Moore (Jason), Frits van der Hoek (Kari), and Andrew van der Hoek (Rebecka), and his grandchildren Logan and Brandon Moore, Rylen, Kinsey, and Arie van der Hoek, and Benjamin, Christopher, and Lena van der Hoek; as well as treasured extended family and a community of friends.

His family looks forward to sharing memories with all those who loved him at a Celebration of Life to be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital foundation to support the Hospice House, a cause that was important to Dr. van der Hoek. Donations can be made online at www.rrh.org/rrh-foundation or mailed to the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Foundation, 1081 N. China Lake Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555.