Dick Vander Laan, 83, of Pella, suffered a stroke at his home on Christmas Day and passed away Dec. 26, 2020, at Pella Regional Health Center. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Jan. 2, at 10 a.m. at Calvary Christian Reformed Church, Pella. Interment will follow in the Oakwood Cemetery, Pella. Public visitation without family present will be Friday, Jan. 1, from 3-6 p.m. at Calvary Christian Reformed Church. Memorial contributions may be given for Pella Christian High School to be designated for the athletic department.
Richard (Dick) Thomas Vander Laan was born Sept. 14, 1937, in Jenison, MI, to Peter J. and Anna (Hiemstra) Vander Laan. He attended Jenison Christian Schools and graduated from Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville, MI, in 1954. In high school, he was a member of student council and played basketball. He and his brother Jack were involved with the Jenison 4-H Club. They started a musical group called The Broadcasters, where Dick played guitar. They performed for many different organizations and churches. After high school, Dick attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where he graduated with a teaching degree in science and biology in 1958. While in college, he was involved in the Back to God Hour Radio Choir, where he met Arlene Goemaat.
Dick and Arlene were united in marriage Aug. 14, 1957, at First Christian Reformed Church in Pella. Their first child Lori Ann was born in 1958 in Grand Rapids, MI. After Dick graduated from Calvin, the Vander Laans moved to Pella where Dick began teaching science and biology at Pella Christian High School. In addition to teaching, he coached boys basketball, cross-country, track, and baseball and served as athletic director. He earned his master’s degree in biology at Central Michigan University during the summer. Dick and Arlene’s son Mark Richard was born in 1967, and in 1970 their second daughter Lisa Joy was born. A special family memory is when they spent a summer in California while Dick studied marine biology at Sonoma State.
Dick’s love for sports never stopped. After he no longer coached at PCHS, he continued his sports involvement by umpiring softball and refereeing basketball and collegiate volleyball. In 1976, Dick began working in human resources at Vermeer Manufacturing Company until 1997. During his employment with Vermeer, he was involved with Iowa Workforce Development. Dick then went on to work as an independent recruiter for Iowa Medical Foundation Care. Not wanting to retire fully, he returned to his love of teaching and interacting with high schoolers as a substitute teacher at PCHS, where students often called him “Super Sub.” His favorite activity was attending PCHS athletics, where he watched his children and then grandchildren play. After all his family graduated, he continued to cheer on his favorite athletes.
Dick was a loving husband and father, blessed with 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He often remarked that he prayed for each family member daily. He was a faithful member of Calvary Christian Reformed Church, where he was involved in Bible study, council, choir, and mainly music. His community involvement included Nature Day Camp at Big Rock Park, Crossroads, Pella’s Tulip Festival, and the recent preservation effort at Big Rock Park. He served on the Calvin College Board and went on several mission trips to Malawi with Arlene on behalf of World-Wide Partners.
He and Arlene traveled on yearly family vacations in the United States while their children were still home. After retirement, they traveled extensively: Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi in Africa, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Malta, and western Europe and Liechtenstein. They traveled to islands in the Caribbean, as well as Hawaii.
He was a loving father to three children and their families: Lori (Dr. Galyn) Vande Zande of Pella, Mark (Darlene) Vander Laan of Alberta, Canada, and Lisa (Mike) Van Sant of Sully. Dick leaves his brother Rev. Jack (Millie) Vander Laan of Port St Lucie, FL; and his sister-in-law Shirley Kelderman of Knoxville.
Dick was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Arlene.
