“Life is beautiful.”
This was something Hub said to me often, something he truly believed. This belief was evident in everything he did: whether making the instruments which he continually strived to improve, working in his garden, tilling the fields on his John Deere, or raising a glass with friends and colleagues. These were things he truly loved. If anyone has lived life to the fullest, it is indeed Hub van Laar.
A man with a strong personality, to say the least. Hub always spoke his mind. Sometimes a bit too soon, sometimes with consequences. His at times brutal honesty was a trait that he also admired in others, as much as he was intolerant of dishonesty. Hub was quick to judge the character of those around him, but he was nearly always right.
What was Hub planning to do next? There was always some plan hatching in that head of his. Just a few weeks ago he told me that he missed traveling, and that he would come to Spain so that the two of us could “drive around the country for a couple of weeks.”
Quick to laugh, with a fondness for the occasional absurdities of life. Generous to a fault. Mindful of others. Hub would do all he could for those close to him, whether on a professional or personal level.
I’m sure that on that Saturday that Hub left us, all too soon, he was thinking what he often said during our frequent Friday or Saturday evening video chats:
“It was a good week.”
