Sal Alex van Gelder

In Loving Memory of Salli "Sal" van Gelder

Sal van Gelder lived a remarkable life. He survived the Holocaust as a Jewish child in the Netherlands, crossed the Atlantic carrying only a trunk, built a family and business from the ground up, and devoted much of his later life to serving others.

Sal passed away peacefully at home on July 10, 2026, at 7:10 a.m., at the age of 87, surrounded by his wife, Mariette, and his devoted caregivers.

Born on October 8, 1938, in Hengelo, the Netherlands, to David and Mietje "Miep" van Gelder, Sal survived World War II by living in hiding with a Christian farming family in Enter. The Holocaust took many members of his family and deepened his commitment to his Jewish faith, Israel, and remembrance.

In the end, he said that he was satisfied.

Sal told his family that his life was complete.

For those who loved him, those words meant everything. He had survived what no child should have endured. He had crossed an ocean carrying only a trunk. He had built a marriage, a family, a business, and a life of service. He taught, challenged, encouraged, argued, laughed, traveled, coached, worked, and gave.

His life was complete.

Sal is survived by his wife, Mariette van Gelder; his daughter, Natacha van Gelder; his son, David van Gelder, and daughter-in-law, Laurie van Gelder; his cherished granddaughters, MacKenzie and Kiersten van Gelder, his brother Arthur Keijzer and his extended family in France, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States.

He was predeceased by his brother, Alex van Gelder; his parents, David and Mietje "Miep" van Gelder; and the many members of his family who were lost during the Holocaust.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Sal's name to Jewish War Veterans or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America

https://www.jwv.org/give/donate/donate-one-time/

or

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html