Obituary: Dan Joensen of Bahrain
S. Dan Joensen, son of Faroe-Island Sea-Captain Niclas and Jessy Joensen, Nyborg, Denmark, passed away on the 16th of January, 2008 after suffering a heart-attack earlier in the day.
Having originally intended to stay in Bahrain for only a 2-year period (starting in 1974) he fell in love with the islands, the people and the infrastructure-opportunities and ended up spending the rest of his 72 year life living in Bahrain, even to the very end displaying an overpowering “can-do” enthusiasm.
S. Dan Joensen overcame the early set-backs of childhood sickness, dyslexia and losing his father during World War II at the age of 8, to pass first the equivalent of a baccalaureate, followed by a traditional carpenters education, topped by a construction engineering master degree. All through these younger years he was known for his high spirits, his jovial nature, and his large commitment to the local boy scout troops. After having finished his education as a lieutenant with the engineering group of the military, he immediately took part in the vastly expanding infrastructure developments in Denmark including the construction of many highway bridges and a large Danish harbor (Rømø).
In 1965 he married Hannelore Weuder and together they had two sons.
As the gung-ho period of the 60’s turned into the constrained 70’s he became tired of the lack of construction opportunities in Denmark, and with the recommendation of an acquaintance, was hired by Ahmed Mansoor Al-Ali as a project manager, and consequently brought his whole family to Bahrain. In the expansion of Bahrain infrastructure, he found the opportunities and challenges he so aspired. Inthe Bahraini-owned company, he was instrumental in the successful completion of many of Bahrain’s construction projects, as well as always serving to train and educate junior members of the staff at all levels. His ability to inspire all levels of the organization was well-known and deeply respected, several times taking the shovel himself or diving into the water to secure wiring. His Bahrain projects included: Alba Causeway, Manama-Sitra Cayseway, Racecourse in Sahir, Banagas LPG Tankfarm at Sitra, causeway and slope protection for GPIC, Pelletizing, Landscaping at King Faisal Cornich, Establishment of Quarry for Middle East Transport. During this time he also became an esteemed member of several engineering and economic societies both in Denmark and Bahrain.
While spending every available vacation with the family (now returned to Denmark and grown to include 4 grand-children), he turned to consulting; both freelance and “pro bono” in the later years. Particularly, he pushed strongly both in Denmark and in the Gulf for the use of environmental friendly dredging techniques to minimize the effect sea-based construction and dredging. In this area, he compiled several reports (amonst others: "15 years experience of reclamation in Bahrain - an evnrionmental assessment") based on his experience obtained in Bahrain dredging and worldwide, and was convinced he managed to influence several large projects for the benefit of the marine environment. Having difficulty seeing himself as a Danish pensioner, he consulted in Bahrain until the very end.
As his remains are transported back to their final resting place in Denmark, we, his family, are convinced he died a happy man, aware of his fortune at having both lived a full passionate life, and seen the future generations of his family growing and in good health. We imagine his only regret is that his role in the development in the Gulf has now finally come to an end.
