Published in the May 2, 2019 edition.
WAKEFIELD — Jozef Henricus Hendriks, 86, died on Thursday, April 25 surrounded by loving family at Sawtelle Family Hospice House, Reading.
Joe, as his family and friends called him, was born on March 21, 1933, in the town of Venray, Netherlands to Peter and Theodora (Arts) Hendriks. Joe was seventh oldest of three sisters and six brothers and grew up on a small family farm in the small village of Veulen, Netherlands where he went to school, church, and worked hard days on the family farm, surviving the devastation of World War II.
After high school, Joe attended the University of Eindhoven, where he graduated in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, took a position with Philips Electronics, NL, and attained several advanced electrical engineering certifications.
In 1957, at age 24, Joe emigrated to the United States to take a position with Transitron Electronics Co. in Wakefield as an electrical engineer. Once he established himself, Joe went back to the Netherlands in 1959 to marry his fiancé, Hendrina T. Classens (Hennie), and brought his new bride back with him to Wakefield where they started their new life and family together in a new country. The new couple soon befriended their Wakefield neighbors and other Dutch immigrants who became lifelong friends.
In 1962, Jozef left Transitron to join Alex d’Arbeloff and Nick DeWolf at a small startup electronics test equipment company called Teradyne Inc. Throughout his 30 years with Teradyne Inc., Joe’s significant electronics engineering contributions, including at least two patents, helped grow Teradyne Inc. into the worldwide multi-billion-dollar automated electronics test equipment company it is today.
Joe was also involved in community service with the Wakefield Conservation Board, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Religious Education. Joe enjoyed spending time with his family, grandchildren, and friends and travelling the world with his beloved wife, family, and friends. Joe also enjoyed many years of fun with Hennie and their friends in Palm Coast, Fla.
Joe is survived by his five children Peter and his wife Linda Hendriks of Wakefield, Henry of Bedford, Paul and his wife Elizabeth Hendriks of Wakefield, Edward and his wife Diane of Westford, and Nicolette Hendriks of Bedford. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Joshua of Westford, Luke, Willem and Nathan of Wakefield and Kathleen Hendriks, of Nashua, N.H. Joe is also survived in the Netherlands by his brother Gerrit Hendriks and sister Annie Thissen. Joe will be remembered as a sweet, intelligent, witty, gracious gentleman who was a wonderful brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.
A Mass celebrating the life of Jozef H. Hendriks will be held at St. Michaels Church, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford, on Monday, May 6 at 9 a.m.
