In memoriam: Prof. Dr Anne Goossensen (1966–2026)

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our colleague Prof. Dr Anne Goossensen (1966) following a brief illness. Anne was a passionate academic, deeply committed to exploring and teaching, from both a phenomenological and a human-centred perspective, the subtle questions surrounding volunteering, life and death.

A listening ear

Anne was a Professor of Listening and Quality of Living Together at the University of Humanistic Studies, a senior lecturer in End-of-Life Care at Avans University of Applied Sciences, and, amongst other roles, a member of the Supervisory Board of Humanitas and of the International Working Group (IWG) on Death, Dying and Bereavement.

In addition to the impressive body of work she authored and the many PhD theses she supervised, Anne has successfully built up a vibrant community of researchers, professionals, artists and volunteers centred on the theme of listening over recent years. Anne taught professionals about listening through the ‘Art of Listening’ course she developed. She was also a highly regarded lecturer on the Celebrants’ Training Programme. As recently as last June, Anne was the organiser and driving force behind the second successful and well-attended Listening Festival at Avans University of Applied Sciences.

Grief literacy

Anne was also committed to ‘Grief Literacy’ – creating space within society to deal with grief and loss. She did this both within the international academic community, through relevant high-quality empirical research into end-of-life care, and beyond. In May, she wrote an opinion piece in Trouw on how ‘end-of-life literacy’ can contribute to a sense of community. Anne was deeply committed to social causes. For example, she was the founder and chair of the Villa TrösT citizens’ initiative in her home town of Dordrecht: a meeting place for people experiencing loss through bereavement.

Anne studied clinical psychology and addiction care in Utrecht and was awarded her PhD in 1997. Among other roles, she served as Professor by Special Appointment in Presence and Mental Health Care at the Faculty of Humanities at Tilburg University, and as Professor of Informal Care and Care Ethics and Professor by Special Appointment of Volunteers in Palliative and Terminal Care at the UvH. Upon her appointment to that latter chair, the then State Secretary for Health, Martin van Rijn, spoke these words of praise about Anne.

Joke van Saane: “Anne was her research: listening, compassion and empathy also characterised her as a person. We are going to miss her terribly. We wish her loved ones, and in particular her sons, much strength in coping with this great loss.”