Martinus Bastiaan Pieter ("Martin") Zonnenberg died at age 81 on January 16, 2020, in Charlotte, NC, after a long illness. He passed peacefully, surrounded by family. He was born on February 6, 1938, in Sliedrecht, The Netherlands. His parents were Marinus Lucas Zonnenberg and Martijntje de Jong. He was an Entrepreneur and Investor, a true "self-made" man and consummate leader, loved by all who worked for or came into contact with him. He built two major companies, Zonnenberg Vleeswarenfabriek in Elburg, The Netherlands, and Dutch Quality House in Gainesville, Georgia, employing several hundred employees. His passionate hobbies included a lifelong love of Sailing and Boats. As an impeccable craftsman, he took delight in restoring antique wooden boats to their former glory. Later in life, he became passionate about carving models of and taking pictures of waterfowl. He passed these passions on to later generations through mentoring and support. He was married to Arina Johanna ("Ineke") Zonnenberg. Martin and Ineke knew each other from a very early age, as they grew up 400 ft apart from birth onwards and sat next to each other in grade school. He is preceded in death by his parents; by his brother, Lucas Jan Dirk Zonnenberg in the Netherlands; and by his daughter, Mariette Zonnenberg Hollander in New Zealand. He is survived by his wife, Ineke; brother, Nelis Zonnenberg; and sister, Regina van Noorloos-Zonnenberg of Sliedrecht, The Netherlands; children, Martin Robert (Katiela) Zonnenberg of St. Petersburg, FL, Marinus Lucas (Tina) Zonnenberg of Gainesville, GA, Kenneth Christopher Young-Taylor of New York, NY, Jan Paul (Susan Russell) Zonnenberg of Scarborough, Maine, Eveline Zonnenberg of Zwolle, The Netherlands, and Arina Zonnenberg (John) Kirk of Davidson, NC; son-in-law, Peter Andre (Sharon) Hollander of Tauranga, New Zealand; and eleven grandchildren: Nicole, Michael Zonnenberg, Daniel, Michael Hollander, Eva, Hunter, Joppe, Lute, Alexander, William, Dillon. The memorial service for Martin will be private to the family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region.
Published in the Orlando Sentinel from Jan. 16 to Jan. 17, 2020