Farewell to Max Osterrieth
1936 – 2023
It is with great sadness that we learned that our founding chairman, Mr Max Osterrieth, passed away on April 13th, after an active life dedicated to his family and good causes. One of these was our NTAB, of which he was a founding father, together with his good friend Tom Burr. They both enthusiastically promoted the idea of creating a NT supporters’ group and it was from their cri de coeur that our NTAB sprang to life.
Max’s strong commitment and motivation explain the NTAB’s immediate success. As one of the NTAB’s founding fathers, he became our first chairman and thus it was Max who gave our association its solid foundations and extraordinary spirit which very much lives on today. As I wrote in my letter to him on the occasion of his leaving the NTAB Committee, Max was ‘an able captain, steering the NTAB to the open sea where it could deploy its full potential with confidence and steadiness’.
We will all remain very grateful for the inspiration, enthusiasm and wisdom Max passed on to our members and to our association as a whole.
He will be remembered by all of us as a wonderful person and an inspiring chairman.
On behalf of the National Trust Association Belgium, we express our sincere condolences to Max’s wife Evelyn and the families Osterrieth and Meinertzhagen.
Jan Grauls
Chairman
As the longest serving members of the NTAB committee still in function we would like to add our thoughts to Jan’s message and express our own sadness and condolences on Max’s passing. We both have fond and still vivid memories of working with Max and of his inspiring leadership as chairman of our organization. As Jan mentioned, Max formed our association, but he also formed the committee around him making it a joy to work with him to promote the charity while having fun together. May Max rest in peace.
Johan Vanbrabant, NTAB Past-Chairman 2005-2015
Carole Hazlewood, NTAB UK-trip organizer 2005-2019
I made the acquaintance of Max through the NTAB, he was one of the founding fathers of our great association. And that opened up a whole new world to me, Max always willing to share his culture and knowledge. His love for the British Isles …
So many beautiful places we did visit in his company, so many good souvenirs …
I can only be grateful having known such an interesting man .
To Evelyn, and the family , I send my warmest sympathy and love .