The Legacy of Augusta van de Leuv

It is with great sadness and regret to announce the passing of former board member Augusta van de Leuv. She struggled with pancreatic cancer the last few months of her life, and she passed away on November 3rd, 2021. She sat directly opposite me in a great big armchair while I visited her in hospice care, the hospice close to the farmhouse where she lived in the province of Groningen. She remained buoyant and full of chatter right up to her final days while she continued to organise all of her personal and financial affairs knowing that her end was near. We had several very intimate conversations by phone as she talked about the process of dying and her wishes for the Stichting Rudi Martinus Van Dijk to be fulfilled. Her legacy to the Foundation meant the world to her, and she was very excited by securing the Foundation’s future. She was excited by the team of people that make up the Board, and in her final days she felt confident that she was leaving the foundation in good hands. My mother, Jeanne van Dijk, President and Founder of the RMVD Foundation, was a lifetime friend of Gusta’s going way back to the days when they were at kindergarten together in Voorburg. It was Gusta’s wish to see Rudi’s music continuing to have a life, and to know that her legacy would be put to good use supporting younger artists and fostering the musical education of children. On behalf of the Stichting Rudi Martinus Van Dijk we would like to express our deep gratitude for what you have given us Gusta – it is deeply moving, and may your very generous legacy continue to grow and support future generations of promising young artists.