In August 1982 Zeevalking announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1982. The Cabinet Van Agt III was replaced by the Cabinet Lubbers I following the second cabinet formation of 1982 on 4 November 1982. Hendrik Jan Zeevalking was born on 7 June 1922 in a Dutch Reformed family in Laag-Keppel, a village in the municipality Bronckhorst situated in the province of Gelderland. He studied Law at the Utrecht University from 1946 until 1947. He was co-founder of the social-liberal political party Democrats 66 (D66) in 1966. He served as vicechair of the party from 1968 to 1969 and as chair from 1979 to 1981. He served as an alderman of traffic and public works in Utrecht (1970–1974). He was State Secretary for Justice in the Den Uyl cabinet (1975–1977), mayor of Rijswijk (1979–1981), and Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (1981–1982). Zeevalking was a member of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. He was also an active Freemason and published several books on freemasonry.