Arie Cornelis de Groot

Arie C. de Groot passed away January 23, 2021 in Portland at the age of 73.

Born in Indonesia to a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother who were prisoners of war during World War II, he moved with his family to the Netherlands in 1950 and subsequently immigrated to Klamath Falls where he graduated from Klamath Union High School. He followed his brother Gerrit to the University of Denver, where he ran track and played soccer and still holds multiple scoring records.

After college he joined the Army and was stationed in several locations, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, before making his way back to Denver with his first wife and only child. There he became a realtor.

Arie furthered his education at The Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College earning his Juris Doctorate in 1982. He practiced law in Portland for several years before being called into active duty as an Army reservist to serve his country at the Presidio during Operation Desert Storm.

He returned to Klamath Falls following his service in San Francisco and joined two of his brothers in starting and managing a real estate business. He also served as the executive director for Klamath Family Head Start, maintained a solo private law practice, taught classes at the Oregon Institute of Technology, and coached soccer at one of the local high schools.

Arie will be remembered for many things including his friendly smile, his sense of humor, his generosity, his contributions to the family and the community, his thoughtfulness, and his willingness to help those in need.

He is survived by his son, Cliff (spouse Mary Pat), two grandchildren, Nicholas and Lauren, ten siblings, and numerous nephews and nieces. He is predeceased by his parents, Arie and Maria de Groot.