Terence VanVliet

1935 - 2025

September 19, 1935 - March 19, 2025 Good night sweet prince, and angels sing thee to thy rest.
Hamlet. William Shakespeare
Terence Harold Van Vliet was born in Glendale, California to Harold and Winifred Elgin Vliet. (Terry added the "Van" back to his name; his father had dropped it.). He was the oldest of four children. He died in hospice care of dementia.
The family moved from the San Fernando Valley to Mojave where Terry attended Lancaster High School. His cousin Don, who later became Captain Beefheart also went to school there, and they both knew Frank Zappa. Terry's love of literature and poetry began to blossom at this time with the encouragement of his English teacher. When the family moved to Las Vegas, he joined a small theater group there which marked the beginning of his lifelong love of theater and acting. As Terry moved into adulthood, his Catholic faith became central to his life. Feeling that he had a vocation to religious life, he entered the Trappist Monastery of New Clairvaux in Vina, California. After a year of discernment he realized that he was not called to monastic life. He moved to San Francisco and then to Santa Barbara where he attended the University of California.
When Terry relocated to Los Angeles, he worked in a variety of places. He renewed his interest in acting and through friends, got an agent. At the time there were a lot of parts for actors with English accents, so Terry developed a slight one, just enough to get several parts. Many people thought he was British but actually he could mimic almost any accent. When asked if he was British, he often replied, "No, just affected!" In 1964 Terry moved to an apartment building in West Hollywood in order to be closer to his agent. There he met Jan Keller and they began 60 years of living and loving together.
In the mid 60's the demand for actors with British accents began to diminish and Terry faced long periods of unemployment. He finally decided to enroll at Immaculate Heart College where he majored in English. He completed his degree summa cum laude in 1969. Initially, he taught at a school in the San Fernando Valley, and in 1970 he began teaching at Immaculate Heart High School. He retired in 2003, but continued to substitute teach there for years. Beside teaching American and British literature, he developed a course called Existentialism which explored its literature, art and film. He was an important and influential figure in the lives of hundreds of young people.Terry loved teaching and he loved his students.
In retirement, Terry and Jan continued their love of traveling especially to England and France. They pursued their love of classical music and had season tickets to the LA Opera and the LA Phil. In addition to literature and poetry, Terry continued to cultivate his interest in many other fields such as interior design, fashion, art, and religion. In 2011 he published a collection of poems, Black Lines on Terracotta.
Terry remained a faithful Catholic throughout his life, maintaining a daily practice of monastic prayer and spirituality. Both Terry and Jan are Oblates of St. Andrew's Abbey in Valyermo, California, where Terry will be buried.
Terry was predeceased by his sister Lynda. He is survived by his spouse of 60 years, Jan Keller, his sisters Sharon (Don Martin) and Janice (David Brown) and their children and Jan's sisters and brother and their spouses and children who loved him as their own.
His funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26 at 11:00 am at Our Mother of Good Counsel, 2060 Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to your favorite charity or to Immaculate Heart High School, Los Angeles or St. Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo.