On Wednesday morning, 17 March 2010, the last lines were written in the book titled “Arie Verkleij”, the last page was turned and the book is now closed. What an impressive, engrossing and inspiring book it has become! It is only a short while ago that Arie received a royal honour for his tremendous achievements and that he was conferred emeritus status during a festive ceremony. The large number of people present during his farewell lecture is a sign of how highly regarded he was, not just because of his achievements, but also because Arie was who he was