About three years ago, my father Victor Steenackers, at the age of 82 faded away.
Papa always has been
a man of little words, especially on paper. However, he left us in his basement
an enormous archive with papers, documents, letters, name cards and books and
articles, from colleague-scientists in all different domains, but always with a
link to nature, forestry, genetics, society, history, geography. And of course,
thousands and thousands of pictures of poplars.
From these documents it is
clear he maintained a mutual and intense exchange of ideas, suggestions, plant
material with colleagues worldwide.
He brought the sense of poplar balsam every evening at
home, but only a few of us had the chance to cooperate with him on his lifetime
passion as a forest tree breeder.
I got the help of his daughter, and my sister, Marijke, who worked since
her graduation in 1984 as a biologist, with papa on forest tree pathology and
breeding, and still continues papa's work.
I was lucky to work on poplar wood quality, under his guidance, from
1988 till 1998. And therefore learned to know him, out of the family context,
in a professional setting.
Papa treasured his flemish roots, but overall he was
a cosmopolitan.
He has travelled a lot, spoke different languages, often acted
as an interpreter between his companions, and above all treated everyone he met,
from workman to noblesse, with a great respect for humanity, never loosing his
dignity.
He avoided mediocrity and narrowness "do as you can, according to your gifts
and talents. Work hard but/and enjoy Life..."
He loved to live,
enjoying a good companion, a good table and glass, never ending observing and
registering his surroundings.
He was a faithful man, in its own way. "I meet God in my work, day after day".
He was a faithful man, in its own way. "I meet God in my work, day after day".
He was a very "condensed writer" and didn't
fill kilograms of paper ; science, based on knowledge and creativity, had to be to the profit of the community and
not to generate own praise and glory. And also to us, his children, he was very
scarce with compliments. But his wink made us radiate.
Let this blog be our compliment to a great familyman.
Jan Steenackers, May
2013
You
may contact us through this blog or by email jan.steenackers@gmail.com