Johan “Hans” van Baal

Hans van Baal, age 87, passed away peacefully in the early hours of November 30th, 2024. He was born in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra on July 1, 1937 and from there, lived a long and fulfilled life. 

He had a rough start to life when he and his family were captured and taken to a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. After surviving the camp with his mother and brother (his father was not as fortunate), he was brought to the Netherlands where his extended family resided. Against all odds, he pushed through school and graduated with a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He married the love of his life, Yvonne on August 16, 1960, and two weeks later emigrated from the Netherlands to New Brunswick, Canada. Two of their five children (Marie-Claire and Michael) were born in Canada before the family moved to America. They moved to Evergreen, Colorado in 1963, built their dream house in the mountains, and had three more children (Nicole, Heidi and Ymmy). 

After working for several years at Coors Brewery, Hans ventured on his own, building up a successful paving company, A-1 Paving. His commitment to hard work and a strong dedication to succeed, allowed him to build his empire and “retire” at age 41. He continued to venture on to new endeavors including owning Dick’s Hickory Dock restaurant, Adobe Creek shopping center in Kittredge, managing many rental properties and investing in the stock market. Throughout his life, his love for travel had taken him and his family around the world. During the summers, you would find them at Lake Powell, and in the winters, San Carlos, Mexico.

In 2005, Hans and Yvonne moved to Fairplay, Colorado to enjoy small-town living. They fell in love with the community and vowed to help out in any way possible. Some of their many impacts included assisting the local food bank, helping make the medical clinic a reality, supporting the Boys and Girls Club and numerous other small businesses and community members. 

Hans was a man who gave more than he received, helped so many in need, and had a laugh that filled the room. His brilliant mind gave him the ability to think about every scenario before acting and was the true master of plan B. He had a gift for organization, an eye for detail, and the uncanny ability to forward think. Sixteen months ago, he suffered a massive stroke causing severe left side weakness. He pushed himself hard, learned to walk again, increased the use of his left hand and started feeling good again. Eight months ago he fell and suffered a massive traumatic brain injury. Sadly, his beautiful brain struggled with both Lewy Body and Vascular Dementia. 

Hans is survived by his beautiful wife, Yvonne, his five children; Marie-Claire; Michael (Diane), Nicole (Rick), Heidi (Steve), Ymmy (Wes), his 10 grandchildren Monica, Grant, Morgan, Alyssa, Cameron, Colby, Nick, Katie, Ben and Jake and his 5 great-grandchildren Jaxon, Cooper, Lexi, Janine and Hailey.

In lieu of flowers, in Hans’ honor, the family invites you to continue his legacy by paying it forward. Help others in need, volunteer your time, and support and love the people around you.

A celebration of life will be held on June 28th, 2025 in his beloved town of Fairplay. More details about his celebration will follow as we get closer to the summer months.