In memoriam: Aycke Smook (9 Dec 1938 – 6 March 2023)
06 March 2023
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Aycke Smook had been a surgeon oncologist at the Central Hospital, Medical Center Alkmaar in the Netherlands from 1974 – 2002. There, he founded the department of surgical oncology, introduced discussion on assisted dying and, with support by the Nederlandse Vereniging voor een Vrijwillig Levenseinde NVVE, he wrote an assisted dying protocol which was approved by the district prosecutor Josephus Jitta.
Dr Smook was a board member of the NVVE from 1989 until 1998. He served the World Federation of Right to Die Societies WFRtDS as president 1994 – 1996 and board member 1992 – 2002. With the support of the WFRtDS, after organising the 1990 WFRtDS conference in Maastricht on behalf of NVVE, Aycke Smook led the founding of Right to Die Europe RtDE in May 1993, initially a division of WFRtDS and then independent umbrella organization for Europe, and served as its president until March 2023. Through his efforts, RtDE became a member of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations INGOs with participatory status and, in 2018, Dr Smook was appointed a member of the Appellate Committee of the Conference of INGOs.
We have lost a spearhead of the worldwide and European human rights and end-of-life-choices movement, a great person and a good friend. We miss you, Aycke!
