Jan Katers was my father-in-law, a good friend, and above all, a remarkable man!

 

My wife Janny asked me to write a foreword, and I do so with great pleasure,

although... whatever you write about this man, chances are you are doing him a disservice.

 

Make an attempt to portray him after all: Jan Katers was a man with a very creative mind,

Simply put: resourceful! A solution could be found for every problem, in any field whatsoever!

 

On October 9, 2023, it will be 100 years since Jan Katers was born in Steenwijk, and that wishes

to designate my wife as the anniversary year, a moment to think of him at length once again, also through this website.

 

The start of his professional career will surprise no one: as a young man, he began in his father Roelof Katers' painting business.

 

Not long after that, Jan Katers was affiliated with "Het Poppenrijk" as a plastics technologist, a

A Steenwijk company that made plastic Wildebras dolls. His creativity already came in very handy there!

 

Jan Katers is probably best known for his DYKA period, particularly his experiments regarding the possibilities.

made of plastic. At the Van Dijk family's kitchen table, the first bends were created from heated PVC pipes filled with sand to preserve their shape. Somewhat later, Katers developed the first T-pieces with Van Dijk, made from

tubular sections. In the year 1959, the first injection-molded fittings finally rolled off the machine. Until his retirement

He continued working at DYKA, and subsequently remained associated with numerous companies as a consultant. A nice fact indeed.

that DYKA still exists in Steenwijk!

 

Besides the more intellectual, rational side, with a focus on 'the bread that had to be put on the table after all', had

My father-in-law also had a completely different, very artistic side. You could see it as a kind of double life, because alongside his role in the business world, he always had that extra urge to paint.

 

Yes, making watercolors outdoors, taking the sketchbook into the car, in search of a fantastic snapshot of that

A day in nature.... My wife and I still often call it a "hangover smell"...

 

His major role models were HENDRIK BROER and CHARLES MOEN; works by both painters can also be found on this website.

 

On August 8, 1992, at the Vijverhof in Steenwijk, Jan Katers passed away as a result of a brain tumor. It will always stay with me: his enthusiasm was unstoppable during that terrible period when his body was being ravaged! Even on his deathbed, he was still making plans, and despite his severely diminished eyesight, he still tried to paint...

Truly an extraordinary person!

 

Cor van de Stroet, Wanneperveen, 4 December 2020