Alex Amerongen
Lebanon | Save
Dr. Alexander “Alex” Willem van Amerongen, 67, of Lebanon, IL, born on December 19, 1958, in Leiden, the Netherlands, passed away on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at his home.
Alex grew up in the Netherlands, first by sea at Scheveningen (near the Hague) and later in Roosendaal, NB. Unsure of his future career path, he split his dedication between laboratory medicine and writing and recording music. At the age of 20 he struck out on his own, met and married Monica Anderson, emigrated to the United States (Minnesota then Sioux Falls, SD) and welcomed son Thaniel in 1983. In 1987, he married soulmate LeAnn Jorgensen and daughter Alexa arrived in 1989.
As a young man, Alex was immersed in education, live music performances, and watercolor and oil painting. One of his paintings was presented to President Jimmy Carter by the state of Minnesota. He sold many pieces and the remainder are cherished by family. He was a voracious gamer and hobbyist, creating beautiful photographs, brewing craft beer, collecting watches, pipes, pens, online friends and much more. He loved traveling with family, and they spent time visiting many parts of the US and northern Europe, including all of the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and with his family as a child, parts of eastern Europe. Alex and family ventured further for Thaniel’s wedding to Peru, taking in history and culture both new and delightful.
Courage and education were vitally important to Alex, both for himself and for those around him as evidenced by his personal successes - all executed in a new country and in a second language. He encouraged family, coworkers and those he met through any avenue to make as much of their talents as they could. He leaves a raft of positively changed lives in his wake, often not realizing the impact he made.
Alex achieved his Cytotechnology certificate from the Mayo Clinic and worked as a cytotechnologist for 5 years in Sioux Falls. During this time, he earned a BA degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, and a master’s in biology at South Dakota State University. His medical education was completed by 1998, having graduated from medical school at the University of South Dakota, pathology residency at USD Sioux Falls - where he met and was inspired by powerful mentors and teachers. He completed fellowship in cytopathology at the University of Texas San Antonio. His first position in pathology was as Medical Director at DCL laboratories/St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, IL. There, together with LeAnn he built a multiple location expansion for DCL and fostered relationships that remained important throughout his life.
At the closure of DCL Illinois, Alex and family moved to College Station, TX where he practiced as a pathologist for Brazos Valley Pathology at several central Texas hospitals. Alongside LeAnn once again, they built new lab locations in Bryan, Austin and Tyler, Texas. He then moved to Rochester, NY, enjoying 3 years as Medical Director at Unity Hospital. Following a merger there, he moved back to the St. Louis Illinois Metro East to begin again with a new laboratory followed by multiple Southern Illinois medical directorships for Premier Pathology and Sarah Bush Lincoln systems. He retired from medicine only a year ago and was still finding his footing in the quiet.
Alex was an inspirational director who believed in servant leadership, teams, and making vocation a positive part of life for himself and those he worked with. His personality is large, passionate, brave and both intense and joyful, traits useful in grappling with many family and professional challenges. He loved the beauty of nature, the seasons, and especially wildlife.
Alex was an engaging conversationalist and a provocative debater, who never lost sight of the people behind the views. Family and friends were at the core of everything he achieved, and his spirit is infused in everyone he cared for and in those who love him. Although he didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the second half of life, he remains an immense presence in the circle that remains.
Alex was preceded in death by his father, Alexander van Amerongen; his father-in-law, Merlin Jorgensen; and brother-in-law, Scott (Vicky) Jorgensen.
Left to cherish Alex’s memory are his beloved wife, Leann van Amerongen (nee Jorgensen); his mother, Marguerite (Han) van Poelgeest (nee Ruijgrok); his mother in law Marlene (Payson) Jorgensen, two children, Alexa (Jonathon Cary) Van Amerongen, Thaniel van Amerongen; one grandchild, Marcella Castellanos; two siblings, Ronald (Marjolein) van Amerongen, Esther van Poelgeest; aunt, Ingrid (Dale) Klassen, brother in law Rod (Lynn Zwak) Jorgensen and sister in-law Vicky (Scott) Jorgensen and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and treasured friends.
Alex’s family requests in lieu of flowers and other Memorials in Alex’s honor, please direct donations to the Treehouse Wildlife Center, whose work he admired, at https://www.treehousewildlifecenter.com/. Condolences may be extended to the family online at www.schildknechtfh.com.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Schildknecht Funeral Home; 301 S. Lincoln Ave., O’Fallon, IL 62269, with a memorial service beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Schildknecht Funeral Home.
Schildknecht Funeral Home
