It is with great sadness that we have had to say a completely unexpected farewell to our colleague Marijn Kandelaars. Marijn was the Connectivity team lead at Information & Library Services (ILS). He passed away in his sleep on 25 May. Marijn was 54 years old.
Marijn had been working at ILS since 1 November 2022. To many of us, he was much more than just a colleague. With his positive energy, genuine interest in colleagues and cheerful nature, he knew how to bring people together and inspire confidence. He was always ‘on’, full of energy and completely himself – what you see is what you get. Marijn was a sportsman through and through. He loved cycling, preferably on a road bike. He would cycle to work from Handel to Boxmeer, to catch the train to Nijmegen. And if that train happened to be cancelled, he would simply cycle on to the campus. ‘No stress at all; there’s nothing I can do about it anyway,’ he would say.
Marijn had a unique way of working. His approach was refreshing for Radboud University and brought innovation, structure and calm. Marijn wasn’t afraid to put himself out there. He understood what the team needed, favoured short lines of communication, without much fuss – roll up your sleeves, sort it straight away and carry on. ‘Problems don’t exist, challenges do!’ was his motto.
Within the Connectivity team, Marijn was known as a real fighter. Someone who protected the team, thought in terms of the group’s interests but certainly had an eye for the individual too. He instilled confidence in the team and encouraged ownership: he supported them, but also believed that ultimately the team had to carry out the technical work themselves. Thanks in part to him, the silos within the team disappeared and there was greater cooperation and solidarity. We won’t forget the team outings in a hurry. What fun we had at the computer museum in Helmond, with the Brabant sausage rolls and a barbecue at Marijn’s house afterwards. And the city walk in Nijmegen, with the tour of the city brewery where things quickly got rowdy, with Marijn leading the way! Alongside his professionalism, we will also remember his boyish pranks, the humour he brought to the table and the way he knew how to celebrate successes, all of us heading to the ‘De Fest’ cafeteria for a kapsalon or something else (un)healthy.
He took the pressure off wherever possible, improved processes, but the purpose and necessity had to be clear to him; he was a strong negotiator. His network seemed endless. Yet he remained close to people. He made client visits himself, organised client days and paid genuine attention to everyone he worked with. Within, but certainly also outside, Radboud University.
It is hard to comprehend that Marijn is no longer with us. We are grateful for everything he meant to our team and the organisation. His energy, commitment and way of working will continue to be felt for a long time to come.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone who was close to him. We wish them much strength during this difficult time.
On behalf of the Connectivity – Information & Library Services team.
There is a book of condolence where you can write a message and leave a tribute to Marijn.