Former state representative helped pass Vermont's Death With Dignity Law and was a fierce cycling competitor
The spirit of our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, Willem Westpalm van Hoorn Jewett, left his physical body on Wednesday afternoon, January 12, 2022, at his home in Ripton, Vt., surrounded by his family. His life was cut short by mucosal melanoma, but it was remarkably full and well lived. He was 58. Willem was born on August 23, 1963, in Larchmont, N.Y., the second son of Marianne van Hoorn and Joseph Jewett. The summer Willem was born, his parents bought four acres of land in Waitsfield, Vt., and built a cabin on Tucker Hill Road. This simple two-room A-frame became the crucible in which Willem and his brother Joe’s love of outdoor exploration and adventure began. Willem grew up in Westport, Conn., and graduated from Loomis-Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn., in 1981. During high school, he became an accomplished downhill skier and began a lifelong series of cycling exploits. He continued to develop his athletic skills at Bowdoin College, where he captained the alpine ski team to two back-to-back division championships. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in psychology. Willem entered the law program at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., and continued his fun-hog activities in the Northwest. He received his JD in 1994 and was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 1995. He joined the Conley & Foote Law Firm in Middlebury in 1994 and remained with the firm until 2017, treasuring the friendships he made there, especially his relationship with Dick Foote. Willem was a creative problem solver and joined the Ripton School Board in 1998. His work on the board and interest in public service led him to a successful run for the Vermont House of Representatives in 2002. He served the towns of Ripton, Goshen, Hancock, Salisbury, Cornwall and Leicester from 2003 to 2017, including two years as the House majority leader, from 2013 to 2014. Willem was an effective and respected leader in the Vermont House of Representatives for 14 years. In his roles as assistant majority leader and majority leader, Willem used his intellect, grit, humor — and occasional impatience — to build support for the causes that mattered to him, his constituents and Vermonters during his legislative career. In his eight years as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he fought for equal access to justice for Vermonters, played an important role in passing historic…
Former state representative helped pass Vermont's Death With Dignity Law and was a fierce cycling competitor
The spirit of our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, Willem Westpalm van Hoorn Jewett, left his physical body on Wednesday afternoon, January 12, 2022, at his home in Ripton, Vt., surrounded by his family. His life was cut short by mucosal melanoma, but it was remarkably full and well lived. He was 58. Willem was born on August 23, 1963, in Larchmont, N.Y., the second son of Marianne van Hoorn and Joseph Jewett. The summer Willem was born, his parents bought four acres of land in Waitsfield, Vt., and built a cabin on Tucker Hill Road. This simple two-room A-frame became the crucible in which Willem and his brother Joe’s love of outdoor exploration and adventure began. Willem grew up in Westport, Conn., and graduated from Loomis-Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn., in 1981. During high school, he became an accomplished downhill skier and began a lifelong series of cycling exploits. He continued to develop his athletic skills at Bowdoin College, where he captained the alpine ski team to two back-to-back division championships. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in psychology. Willem entered the law program at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., and continued his fun-hog activities in the Northwest. He received his JD in 1994 and was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 1995. He joined the Conley & Foote Law Firm in Middlebury in 1994 and remained with the firm until 2017, treasuring the friendships he made there, especially his relationship with Dick Foote. Willem was a creative problem solver and joined the Ripton School Board in 1998. His work on the board and interest in public service led him to a successful run for the Vermont House of Representatives in 2002. He served the towns of Ripton, Goshen, Hancock, Salisbury, Cornwall and Leicester from 2003 to 2017, including two years as the House majority leader, from 2013 to 2014. Willem was an effective and respected leader in the Vermont House of Representatives for 14 years. In his roles as assistant majority leader and majority leader, Willem used his intellect, grit, humor — and occasional impatience — to build support for the causes that mattered to him, his constituents and Vermonters during his legislative career. In his eight years as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he fought for equal access to justice for Vermonters, played an important role in passing historic…