Obituary for André Charles Vandermaelen
André Charles Vandermaelen was born in Everbeek, Belgium, in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. His childhood was shaped by the difficult years of the war and the period of deprivation that followed. From an early age, he learned to take on responsibility and work hard on his parents’ farm. It was there that the values that would guide him throughout his life were formed: humility, perseverance, honesty, respect for others, and the conviction never to give up. These qualities also shaped his professional career.
After completing his technical training and earning a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Mons, he embarked on an extraordinary international career in 1962. While at the belgian industrial furnace manufacturer Four Industriel Belge, he gained extensive experience in the ceramics, glass, and brick industries and built an impressive network across Europe. His professional expertise, reliability, and personal dedication earned him the unconditional trust of his clients and superiors.
His move to the French plant engineering firm CERIC marked the beginning of the most successful phase of his professional life. There, his relationship with the CEO, Monsieur Mérienne went far beyond a mere professional working relationship. The two treated each other with the utmost mutual respect and unconditional trust. This extraordinary partnership formed the foundation for many groundbreaking decisions and international successes.
At a time when markets such as Germany were considered impregnable, André succeeded in winning the trust of renowned brick manufacturers in the Netherlands, England, Austria, and Germany through his technical expertise, perseverance, and personable manner. Companies such as Meyer-Holsen, Heisterholz, Rupp, Berchtold, Ott, Girnghuber, and many other manufacturers in Europe chose his solutions—not only because of the innovative technology, but above all because of the trust they placed in him as a person.
The secret to his success was never loudness or self-promotion. He listened, spoke his customers’ language, and treated everyone with respect, honesty, and reliability. His motto was: “The customer is king. I would never offer a solution that I wouldn’t buy myself.”
Business relationships with brick manufacturers, partners, and suppliers often blossomed into long-standing friendships. Many customers valued not only his technical knowledge but also his modesty, his integrity, and his ability to build trust. Together with his wife and children, he forged connections that lasted far beyond his professional life. Many of these friendships remained with André until the end of his life. Even many years later, he spoke with great joy about the people he had met along his professional journey. Time and again, he recounted shared experiences, challenges, and successes—stories that vividly demonstrated how business contacts turned into genuine friendships. His enthusiasm for the brick industry was so great that he introduced his son, Dirk Vandermaelen, to this fascinating world at a very early age, passing on his extensive experience and sharing his passion with him.
Despite his extraordinary successes, André never put himself in the spotlight. He always spoke of the achievements of the entire team, the trust placed in him by his CEO, Monsieur Mérienne, and the support of his family. He was convinced that it was precisely his rural roots that had taught him to treat people with respect and to build lasting trust.
Until his retirement at the end of 2004—most recently as Industrial Performance Manager for Clay Roofing Western Europe at Lafarge Roofing—he remained true to his passion and also oversaw several major projects in Europe and Algeria.
One sentence perhaps best sums up his professional life: “My job was my hobby.”
Those who knew André remember not only an extraordinary engineer, but above all a humble man who built bridges between countries, companies, and people. His professional life’s work extends far beyond the projects he brought to fruition. It lives on in the relationships he built, in the trust he earned, and in the friendships he left behind. His humanity and his legacy will never be forgotten.
