Hedwig Waltmans-Molier has died in Beirut
It is with dismay and great sadness that we report the death of our colleague Hedwig Waltmans-Molier (1964–2020). On Saturday 8 August she succumbed to injuries sustained in the massive explosion in Beirut on 4 August.
Ministers Stef Blok and Sigrid Kaag have offered their condolences to the family on this profound loss.
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of our colleague Hedwig Waltmans-Molier as a result of the huge explosion in Beirut. Our thoughts are with her husband, their children and other family members. Our sympathy goes out to them and we wish them every strength to cope with this great loss.
The staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are committed to working for the Netherlands worldwide, also in demanding, difficult or dangerous circumstances. Hedwig exemplified this in both her professional and her personal life. She was beloved by her colleagues and she will be very much missed. Her death is a loss for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the country.”
Hedwig and Jan Waltmans were together for 38 years. They were posted to various challenging missions abroad. Both made their own careers at the ministry. Last week, they returned from holiday to their beloved Lebanon. Hedwig was standing next to Jan in their living room when, through sheer bad luck, she was hit by the blast.
Hedwig Waltmans-Molier was 55 years old. Her last role was as HR partner within the ministry’s HR department. She worked both from the Hague and from Beirut, where her husband is the Dutch ambassador.
Online book of condolence
The online book of condolence has been closed. The ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to express its sincere gratitude to everyone who has shared their condolences and support. Your messages will be presented to the next of kin.