Ronald Calvin Vande Voort was born July 17, 1939, to Everett and Harriet (Dieleman) Vande Voort in Newton. He passed away at the Methodist Hospital in Des Moines on Apr. 22, 2021, at the age of 81. Funeral service was at 10 a.m. on Monday, Apr. 26, at Covenant Reformed Church, Pella.
Ron attended Jasper County Public Schools and Sully Christian School, and was a 1958 graduate of Lynnville-Sully High School. After graduation, he worked for four years in the Sully Lumberyard doing both accounting and lumberyard work. He attended UNI at age 22 for business. At 25, he married Janice Van Zee. Ron was a bookkeeper at the Sully Co-op Oil Station and then moved to the main office. He retired in 2001. In 1967, he built a house in Sully. Some of his other interests included being a volunteer fireman and EMT, and serving as an elder and a deacon at Sully Christian Reformed Church. For Ron, bookwork was both his hobby and work. Ron was a lifelong learner; he donated time at The Well sorting books. He loved his grandkids and watching sports and playing games! He also loved to engage in deep discussion. He was a teaser, goofy, wise, stubborn, feisty, generous, detailed, strong, and yet tender man.
Ron was preceded in death by his wife Janice, his parents Everett and Harriet Vande Voort, his parents-in-law John E. and Geneva Van Zee, and his siblings Louise Vande Voort in infancy, Larry Vande Voort, and Chris Steenhoek.
Family survivors are Jeff (Linda) Vande Voort of Waterford, MI, Julie (Mark) Roose of Pella, Karen (Rick) Harrill of Pella, and 15 grandchildren.
Ron is also survived by his siblings: the late Chris (Gerrit) Steenhoek, Lois (the late Melvin) Harthoorn, and Lucille (the late Ron) Vos, all of Pella, and the late Larry (Carolyn) Vande Voort of Sully; Jan’s family: Elwood (Connie) Van Zee, Ken (Gloria) Van Zee, Gloria (Dale) Slings, Gin (Darrell) Vermeer, Joan (David) Jansen, and Myron (Laura) Van Zee.
