Jan Koopman - 1957-2009

We deeply regret to announce the death of Mr Jan KOOPMAN on 31 October 2009. Mr Jan KOOPMAN, born on 28.07.1957, worked in the BE Department and had been employed at CERN since 16.09.1984.

The Director-General has sent his family a message of condolence on behalf of the CERN staff.

Social Affairs
Human Resources Department


At the age of 27 Jan was the last member of SPS-ABM group to be recruited in 1984 and, after a lengthy illness, he has now left us prematurely at the age of 52.

As an electronics engineer, equally at home with analog and digital electronics or real-time microprocessor programming, Jan managed, thanks to his competence, professionalism, determination and enthusiasm, to develop, install and maintain many high-performance devices to measure beam characteristics.

His human qualities, his moral and intellectual integrity, his love of life and his readiness to offer assistance in professional as well as in private life earned him a rapid integration into the team, of which he was a highly appreciated member.

With his death we have all lost a true friend.

His former colleagues and friends in the ABM and BI groups


Although life rolls inexorably towards its close, we must infuse it with love and hope while we have it.

Though absence will always be absence, we still have our memories and they bring us some comfort.



by HR Department