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John Donald Karsseboom passed away peacefully at his home in Woodburn, Oregon on May 23, 2025. John was born on September 8, 1935, in Jakarta, Indonesia to Christiaan Leopold Karsseboom and Dora Paulina van der Heijde. After Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands, John like many others of Dutch Indonesian heritage, chose to leave the country and start a new life in the Netherlands. Around 1957, John along with 5 younger brothers emigrated from Indonesia aboard the Willem Ruys, one of the ships involved in transporting Dutch Nationals from Indonesia to the Netherlands. In Holland he met his wife, Nellie van Breemen in Ijmuiden and they were married in Nellie’s hometown of Uitgeest. During this time, John worked for the Dutch Railroad in Amsterdam. Then in 1960 in search of better opportunities, John, Nellie and their 6-month-old daughter Sencta decided to immigrate to the United States. They landed first in Buffalo, New York where they met another Dutch Indonesian couple, Fred and Connie Stupers who would become their lifelong friends. Because both John and Nellie had family that had recently immigrated to Oregon from Holland, they decided to leave Buffalo and head to the state of Oregon. They took a cross-country journey by train and eventually found a home in Mt. Angel. In Mt. Angel, John worked at the Mount Angel Abbey. A few years later, he purchased a home in Woodburn where he resided until his death. In 1988, at the age of 53, he retired from Tektronix as an auditor after working 21 years. John’s knack for numbers and love of investing enabled him to retire earlier than most. A saver and not a spender, he took the little funds he had saved through his IRA at Tektronix and managed them diligently. He was always buying and selling stocks and enjoyed seeing his money grow. Never needing anything extravagant, extraneous, or fancy, John was always completely happy with just the basic comforts of life and a loving and caring family around him. One of John’s passions was traveling. He and Nellie spent the last 30 years of his life traveling around the world. He traveled to China, Russia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Europe. He spent time in many countries in Asia including, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. He visited Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Chile. He saw many of the Caribbean islands and spent time in Alaska and Canada. But one of his favorite spots was the Indonesian island of Bali. He and Nellie would return to Bali often, spending several months out the year there. John loved Bali’s warm tropical climate and the kindhearted and friendly nature of the Balinese people. He made many friends there and it became John’s home away from home. Above all else, John treasured time spent with family. Nothing made him happier than when his large family comprised of his wife of 65 years, seven children and their spouses, 21 grandchildren, and seven great grandkids came together for family events like his birthday, Father’s Day, and Christmas. John was a big kidder and was known to tease and joke with everyone he met. He had a playful spirit and a wonderful sense of humor and especially enjoyed teasing his grandkids. Whenever he was teasing someone or cracking a joke, a big mischievous grin would spread across his face and his eyes would crinkle and light up. His warm heart, beautiful smile and hearty laugh will be missed immensely. John is survived by his wife Nellie, his children Sencta Karns, Chris (Mary) Karsseboom, Jackie (Aaron Seivertson) Karsseboom, Jonn (Tracy) Karsseboom, Piet (Laura) Karsseboom, Philip (Shannon) Karsseboom, and Janey (Tom) Combs, 21 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

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John Donald Karsseboom

September 8, 1935 - May 23, 2025