In Loving Memory of Prof. dr. ir. Cees van Rhee
It is with deep sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the unexpected passing of Prof. dr. ir. Cees van Rhee, a cherished and long-standing member of the dredging community and CEDA. On Saturday, July 15th, at the age of 64, we lost a remarkable individual whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our dredging community.
Cees held an esteemed position serving as the Secretary & Treasurer for CEDA’s Board of Directors for over 15 years. Additionally, he actively participated in numerous commissions, working groups, and activities that CEDA organised. His dedication was unparalleled, evident in his role as the Chair of the Technical Paper Commission for all our major events and as the Conference Chair for these occasions. Cees's profound expertise in the dredging field and his meticulous attention to detail have been invaluable to CEDA and its members throughout the years. He was highly respected by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Prof. Dr. Ir. C. (Cees) van Rhee completed his MSc degree in Civil Engineering, specialising in fluid mechanics, at the Delft University of Technology in 1984. He embarked on his career at WL|Delft Hydraulics (currently known as Deltares), dedicating himself to fundamental research for the dredging industry. From 1990-2007 he was Head of the Dredging Research Department of Van Oord. He even spent two years in Hong Kong, where he played a pivotal role in the production and planning of a significant land reclamation project. In 2002, he successfully completed his PhD, and from October 2007 onward, he held the esteemed position of Professor of Dredging Engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. His scientific achievements included the modeling of highly concentrated sediment-water flows and high-velocity erosion of granular sediments.
Cees firmly believed in making a difference through research, which is why he invested considerable effort in organisations like CEDA and WODA. He possessed a visionary outlook on the future of dredging and consistently inspired us with his innovative ideas. Cees was among the first to advocate and predict the vast potential of deep-sea mining and need to investigate and optimize the techniques of reservoir dredging.
We will deeply miss Cees, not only for his kind and gentle nature but also for his steadfast commitment to basing arguments on facts rather than emotions. Throughout his illustrious career as a Professor of Dredging Engineering at Delft University of Technology, he garnered admiration and respect from his peers and students alike. Cees was an intelligent, approachable, and extraordinarily knowledgeable individual, who possessed a subtle sense of humor.
His absence will be acutely felt by all of us.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Monique, as well as Cees's entire family and friends, and we wish them strength during these challenging times.
Our thoughts are with you.
If you wish to send condolences to the family, then please send them via email to Linda. These will then be added to our Condolence Book, which we will pass on to the family.
CEDA Board of Directors and (past) staff members