Harry Vanzytveld

On June 29, 2024, Jack Van Zytveld passed away surrounded by his three sons and the love of family and friends around the world. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jack was the only child of Cornelius and Helen (Rice) Van Zytveld. Following the sudden death of his mother when Jack was 2 years old, he lived for nearly a year in the care of a variety of family members in Michigan and Illinois who did their best to provide stability and love. His father and stepmother set up home in Lansing, IL where Jack went on to graduate from Illiana Christian High School. After graduating, he worked locally for a year and then enrolled at Calvin College for one semester before realizing it wasn't where he needed to be at that stage in life. Seeking new opportunities, he moved to Denver, CO to work in a brickyard before eventually entering the Army where he served in Korea. It was in Denver that he met the love of his life, Jane (Volkema). They continued to date while he was in the Army, and she began her studies at Calvin. Eventually, Jack returned to Calvin and completed his degree in education. In 1958, Jack and Jane were married, and they soon began life together in Michigan where Jack taught at Moline Christian Schools. After two years, there was an opportunity to return to Denver. It was here that they made a home and Jack made a career of teaching and faith-filled leadership at Denver Christian Schools for more than 30 years. He completed an MA at University of Northern Colorado though he loved to joke that he really never got beyond his 4th grade classroom where he spent most of his years teaching. He loved his students and did his best to always grow as a teacher. Hearing him read the Chronicles of Narnia was a beloved feature of "Mr. Van's" classroom as was a love of silly jokes and puns. After retiring from teaching, Jack began to work as a driver for the Regional Transportation District in Denver. He quickly grew to be a valued employee and colleague while driving accessibility buses. Known as "Harry" for the first time in his professional life, he was recognized for his personal commitment to his riders and received numerous commendations and awards in his short time as a driver. He was always working outside of teaching in order to support his family - painting houses, cleaning office buildings, and, of course, many years of mowing lawns with fellow teachers. And yet he still found time to be an active member of the congregations he called home. He preferred to remain in the background but somehow still was a leader. A fierce self-critic, he was quick to note his faults and mistakes. But he also worked to learn and grow from the same. Above all, he will be remembered for his kindness. He treated those he crossed paths with equally - with respect and appreciation for their own humanity. He truly sought to live out - however imperfectly - the command to love his neighbor. Preceded in death by his wife, Jane (Volkema), his parents, as well as his stepmother, Catherine (Bos) Van Zytveld, his sister, Harriet Barry, sisters-in-law, Annabelle Volkema and Carol Van Zytveld, brothers-in-law, Fred Volkema, Art Volkema, Keith Barry and Nelson Zwaanstra. Survived by his sons, James (Marlise), Donald, and David (Karen); 6 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren; his sister, Janice Zwaanstra, his brother, John (Jan) Van Zytveld, his sister-in-law, Martha Volkema; and numerous nieces and nephews. Private services will be held in Denver. For those wishing to honor Jack's memory, we invite you to donate in his name to either Baxter Community Center in Grand Rapids (https://wearebaxter.org/donate/) or Denver Kids (https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/denverkidsinc) in Denver to any group that you feel reflects Jack's quiet contributions to justice for kids and families. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Harry Vanzytveld, please visit our flower store.