In Memory Of
Jasper Van Vliet
1926
2024
Jasper Van Vliet
November 22, 1926 — August 2, 2024
Jasper Van Vliet was born on November, 22 1926 in Aarlanderveen, South Holland, in the Netherlands. He was 3rd of the 9 children of Leendert and Grietje (VanderByl).
He passed away on August 2, 2024 at 97 years of age, in the home of his daughter, Herma in Penfield, New York, the USA.
His beloved wife Helen (Hendrika Blekkenhorst) predeceased him in 2020. He lived in his own home for two years after that, but then suffered a stroke which brought him into the care and home of Hermine and David Dow.
Jasper was also predeceased by these siblings: Maurina, Antony, Leendert, Janny, Cornelis, and Willempje. He is survived by sister Adry and brother Jacob, five children, spouses, twelve grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Jasper’s teen years were dominated by the Nazi occupation of his homeland of the Netherlands during World War II. Of his immediate family, one of his brothers and a cousin died. After the war he trained as an accountant/book keeper. Then in 1946 he was drafted into the Dutch army and served in Indonesia. He served 7 years, achieved the rank of sergeant, and he worked as a guard. He was relieved he never had to take a life.
Jasper and Helen met when they were 21 years old and developed their relationship mostly through letter writing. They wed on April 9, 1952. Six weeks later they boarded a ship for Canada. They lived in Hamilton, Ontario for 10 years and became Canadian citizens. Their three biological children were born there: Herma, Leo, and Gordon.
The long-term plan had always been to become Americans. They moved to Rochester, NY in 1963 and did indeed become citizens.
Jasper comes from a long line of carpenters/woodworkers. With a family to provide for, this pre-disposition manifested itself. He approached the challenges with confidence, practiced and honed his skills on the job, and created his own contractor business. In the U.S. he worked as a finishing carpenter on new housing, then created showrooms for Mangurians Furniture Store, and in 1970 landed his dream government job at BOCES (Board of Cooperative Education Services) in Fairport, NY. He was his own boss and built whatever was needed in the classrooms. Good hours, pay, and a pension. Pretty soon he moved out of the city into the suburbs! An oldest child was going to college! The American Dream was coming true!
Church life and Christian education were the most important things in Jasper’s life. He was an elder in every church he joined. First in the Christian Reformed Church of his youth and early adulthood. Then the charismatic movement of the 70’s enlivened and personalized his faith. He helped to develop what eventually became New Covenant Church and the Charles Finney School.
The social justice aspect of his Christian faith towards the widows and fatherless and dis-advantaged was manifest in open arms and a home to anyone struggling. Jasper and Helen took in over 50 foster children and adopted two of them: Amy and Sarah. They were also one of the 5 foundational couples who envisioned and worked to establish what is now Heritage Christian Homes. When Amy grew up, HCH became her family & home.
Jasper and Helen hosted a weekly prayer and Bible study fellowship in their home well into their 90’s. He was always happy to anoint you with oil and pray for your healing and blessing. This only stopped when the physical afflictions of fading eyesight/hearing and progressive dementia after Helen’s passing made it difficult. As the dementia increased the need/desire to “go to church” was ever on his mind. Eventually he lost the desire to speak. Communication was impossible. But he never complained, he patiently endured everything.
I asked family and friends to share the first word that popped into their heads when they considered his essence, his character. This is what they said: provider, faithful, stable, consistent, dependable, loving, resilient, determined, unsinkable, authoritarian, hardworking, stoic, loyal, unshakable, holy, pure, unbribed-able… when he smiled his real smile, you knew you were loved… hugs were pretty good too.
He was indeed a patriarch, a father figure to many.
He passed away on August 2, 2024 at 97 years of age, in the home of his daughter, Herma in Penfield, New York, the USA.
His beloved wife Helen (Hendrika Blekkenhorst) predeceased him in 2020. He lived in his own home for two years after that, but then suffered a stroke which brought him into the care and home of Hermine and David Dow.
Jasper was also predeceased by these siblings: Maurina, Antony, Leendert, Janny, Cornelis, and Willempje. He is survived by sister Adry and brother Jacob, five children, spouses, twelve grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Jasper’s teen years were dominated by the Nazi occupation of his homeland of the Netherlands during World War II. Of his immediate family, one of his brothers and a cousin died. After the war he trained as an accountant/book keeper. Then in 1946 he was drafted into the Dutch army and served in Indonesia. He served 7 years, achieved the rank of sergeant, and he worked as a guard. He was relieved he never had to take a life.
Jasper and Helen met when they were 21 years old and developed their relationship mostly through letter writing. They wed on April 9, 1952. Six weeks later they boarded a ship for Canada. They lived in Hamilton, Ontario for 10 years and became Canadian citizens. Their three biological children were born there: Herma, Leo, and Gordon.
The long-term plan had always been to become Americans. They moved to Rochester, NY in 1963 and did indeed become citizens.
Jasper comes from a long line of carpenters/woodworkers. With a family to provide for, this pre-disposition manifested itself. He approached the challenges with confidence, practiced and honed his skills on the job, and created his own contractor business. In the U.S. he worked as a finishing carpenter on new housing, then created showrooms for Mangurians Furniture Store, and in 1970 landed his dream government job at BOCES (Board of Cooperative Education Services) in Fairport, NY. He was his own boss and built whatever was needed in the classrooms. Good hours, pay, and a pension. Pretty soon he moved out of the city into the suburbs! An oldest child was going to college! The American Dream was coming true!
Church life and Christian education were the most important things in Jasper’s life. He was an elder in every church he joined. First in the Christian Reformed Church of his youth and early adulthood. Then the charismatic movement of the 70’s enlivened and personalized his faith. He helped to develop what eventually became New Covenant Church and the Charles Finney School.
The social justice aspect of his Christian faith towards the widows and fatherless and dis-advantaged was manifest in open arms and a home to anyone struggling. Jasper and Helen took in over 50 foster children and adopted two of them: Amy and Sarah. They were also one of the 5 foundational couples who envisioned and worked to establish what is now Heritage Christian Homes. When Amy grew up, HCH became her family & home.
Jasper and Helen hosted a weekly prayer and Bible study fellowship in their home well into their 90’s. He was always happy to anoint you with oil and pray for your healing and blessing. This only stopped when the physical afflictions of fading eyesight/hearing and progressive dementia after Helen’s passing made it difficult. As the dementia increased the need/desire to “go to church” was ever on his mind. Eventually he lost the desire to speak. Communication was impossible. But he never complained, he patiently endured everything.
I asked family and friends to share the first word that popped into their heads when they considered his essence, his character. This is what they said: provider, faithful, stable, consistent, dependable, loving, resilient, determined, unsinkable, authoritarian, hardworking, stoic, loyal, unshakable, holy, pure, unbribed-able… when he smiled his real smile, you knew you were loved… hugs were pretty good too.
He was indeed a patriarch, a father figure to many.
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