Maria E.A. van Amson

Maria Elizabeth Anna van Amson, Lies or Lisa to those who knew and loved her, passed away on March 15, 2024 after a brief illness.  Lies was born in Paramaribo, Suriname at the start of the second world war. As the child of a career member of the Dutch military she spent her childhood in Suriname, Indonesia and the Netherlands where she attended high school.  After high school she continued to travel by going to France to study and then by working as an Au Pair in England.  After returning to Suriname, she met and married Ernst, the love of her life.  Showing a real flair for adventure, the young couple moved to Cali, Colombia with a toddler in tow. While they were literate in four languages, Spanish was not one of them. Once there, Lies took to her natural calling, building community.  She quickly forged what turned out to be lifetime friendships and was always there to welcome new expats to the community.  Her experiences as a child, frequently being the new kid, gave her an extraordinary ability to befriend people from all walks of life from all over the world.  It also gave her extraordinary compassion for those who might be new to a community and in need of a little help in getting settled. This meant that the family dinner table and guest bedroom frequently had a couple “strays” that they had picked up.  After a time in Cali, Colombia the family’s wandering ways included stops in Panama, Miami, Dallas and Bogota, Colombia before finally settling in for what turned out to be more than 50 years in Sayville, New York. She will always be remembered by those that loved her as a fierce and devoted parent, a loving wife, a loyal friend and someone who could always be counted on for help. 

She is predeceased by her parents, Humbert Petrus Dijcks (Pierre) and Ailie Helsie Dijcks (Alice) and her brother Anthony Dijcks.  She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ernst van Amson, her son Andrew, his wife Anne Marie, her son Peter and his wife Page and her four grandchildren, Katherine Adams ( Josh ), Lily van Amson, Lucas van Amson and Mia van Amson.  She is also survived by her sister Gerda Dijcks and her brother Marcel Dijcks and his wife Hester along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and brothers and sisters in law.

A celebration of life will be held at Raynor & D'Andrea, 245 Montauk Highway in West Sayville on Saturday, June 22 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.  In addition to the event at Raynor & D'Andrea there will be a celebration of life and a spreading of some of the ashes followed by a reception on the 14th of July in Bilthoven the Netherlands. 

Donations in Maria's name to the following organizations would be appreciated:

Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. (EIN 11-1687477) https://www.guidedog.org/

Friends of Ravencliff (EIN 83-3403825) https://www.friendsofravencliff.com/