Chichester man remembered by family and friends

A Chichester man has been remembered as a devoted father, loyal and witty, having died at the age of 57.
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Kees Bouterse, was born in Holland, and over the years lived in Germany, Greece, Israel, Australia, Africa, South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

His life was full of adventures be it qualifying as a PADI dive master, doing offshore diving on the oil rigs in the North Sea, working as cabin crew for Britannia Airways or self funding himself to become a pilot, working as a an instructor before flying for an air ambulance company and then a hedge fund corporation on a Pilatus PC12 aircraft.

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His son Bjorn Bouterse said: “A very intelligent man; mastering three languages and rising to the height of continental aviation, my father showed me how with refined dedication, you can achieve whatever your heart inclines.

Kees BouterseKees Bouterse
Kees Bouterse

“I miss his appetite for adventure and discovery; his spontaneity and resilience, his patience and tolerance.”

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At the age of 50 Kees achieved another life long dream which was to climb to base camp on Mount Everest.

A year later he and his friend Paddy bought themselves a Harley Davidson each and rode to the South of France together.

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Kees is survived by his son Bjorn, 23, and daughter Moniek, 13.

His funeral was held at Chichester Crematorium on Wednesday, January 26 with a two-ship special flypast at the Inglenook pub in Pagham.

The service was created and led by Caroline James.His friend Nick Byrom said: ‘Kees was loyal, witty and had a sense of humour as dry as the Gobi desert as described by his friend’.

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