Jan Albert Willinge “Ab” Gratama
Jan Albert Willinge “Ab” Gratama
Iowa City
A life well designed: “Ab” Gratama, 8/13/1939-5/31/2025
Jan Albert Willinge “Ab” Gratama, a man who lived at the intersection of creativity and intellect, left us on May 31, 2025, at age 85.
Ab was born on August 13, 1939, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to parents Gerhardus Lambertus Willinge Gratama and Fréderique Loopuyt. He and his sister, Maria Elizabeth, grew up during the WWII latter years and aftermath. He studied Graphic Design as a young man at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, and while there he met the love of his life who survives him, Lilian Van Kregten. They were married on Sept. 3, 1966 and shared a total of 63 years together. Ab is also survived by his children; son Marcus Lambertus Willinge Gratama (Liza) and daughter Larissa Joanna Gratama LaVine (Derick); and his grandchildren Evan Albert Willinge Gratama, James Albert Willinge Gratama, and Livian Sophia LaVine.
Ab’s life was one well designed; it fused together color, sound, and meaning. His rich life was woven together by an unshakable love and partnership with Lilian, whose unwavering support anchored and enabled every chapter of his extraordinary journey. From his early days as a founding member of a groundbreaking Dutch design studio, Smidswater, to his impactful consultancies for UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ab approached design as a means of communication. His work spoke —sometimes whispered, sometimes shouted—always with purpose. His consultancy for FAO took him and his family to Ghana, West Africa, for two amazing and transformative years. Those years in Ghana didn’t just influence his portfolio; they reshaped his worldview, instilling in him a profound understanding of how visual storytelling could bridge cultures.
After a two year return to The Netherlands he moved his family to Iowa City where he pursued a doctorate in Third World Communication and Development at the University of Iowa. But his career pivoted again and culminated in where he truly belonged— in the classroom—when he accepted a teaching position and became a tenured professor and eventual head of the Graphic Design program in the school of Art and Art History.
He didn’t just teach students how to design, he taught them how to “see.” Former students have often shared that he was their most beloved professor — the one who could deliver brutal, constructive critiques with such warmth that left you feeling inspired rather than bruised.
Ab also possessed that rare musical intuition, but without any formal training. Hand him any instrument and he would try to pick it up through improvisation, unlocking its soul. The house was always filled with music; the warm crackle of Coltrane and Miles Davis on vinyl, his playing of the vibraphone, bass clarinet, piano, you name it, and he promoted and shaped this shared love in his son. He would beam at recitals, analyze recordings, and live every note vicariously.
It was the same with carpentry. When he decided to remodel and add to the family home, he taught himself how to take out walls, put up studs and drywall, put up cabinets, install trim and countertops, lighting and plumbing fixtures, and all the various skills he needed to both work alongside the contractors and independently.
As we say goodbye, we are remembering Ab not just for what he created but also for what he brought out in others. We will honor him by seeing the world more thoughtfully, by approaching challenges more creatively and from different perspectives, and by never taking for granted the partners and people who help make our dreams and goals achievable.
Play on, Ab. Your influence will endure and your music will linger, and your greatest masterpiece is the love and family you leave behind.
For more words written by his family, or to share a thought, memory or condolence with them, please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.