Jan Carl ter Weele

PORTLAND – Jan Carl ter Weele died of heart failure on Nov. 21, 2022 in Portland. He was born in Groningen, the Netherlands on March 22, 1935.

Following the war, the family moved to the U.S. where Jan attended Pomfret School, then Princeton, and finally Harvard, where he earned a master’s and a Doctorate in education management. After graduation he went on to several school superintendencies in the New England area, and later to appointment as Director General of the International Schools of Switzerland.

Upon return from Geneva, Jan served in Governor John McKernan’s administration in Bangor as Deputy Director for Economic and Community Development. When he retired, he emerged from painting as a hobby in his Portland studio to become a renowned artist. His joyful, mostly abstract paintings are a combination of French Fauvists and a contemporary Dutch school.

Jan was an avid fisherman and upland bird hunter and played tournament bridge. He loved Motoko Schoning, his companion of 30 years, and doted on his many grand nephews and nieces. He came quickly to tears when one of them had a serious operation, and he smiled joyfully at their many successes. Some of his favorite moments, often recounted, came from being in the field with his beloved dog, Amber.

Besides Motoko and his many nieces and nephews, close survivors include his son, Carl; brother, Alex and sister, Margery Gagné-ter Weele.