John H. Van Kooten

John Henry, 98, of Palm Coast, Florida passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 15, 2023 in Elkton, Florida surrounded by his family. John was born in Amsterdam, Holland on August 8, 1924. He was the youngest of four children born to Johannes "John" and Julia (Coppens) Van Kooten of Naarden, Holland. He and his family arrived in the United States in November 1924 aboard the "Nieuw Amsterdam" and settled in Hawthorne, NJ. John was a Roman Catholic, and his faith was a huge part of his life. He was a member of Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, Flagler Beach, FL. He was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus with Assembly # 2810 in Flagler Beach for many years and served as a Past Faithful Navigator. He served on the board of The Exchange Club of Allentown. He was a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and was inducted into the Order of Malta in 2011 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
John is survived by his loving wife, Janet D. Czajkowski Van Kooten of Palm Coast, FL with whom he resided. They were married on October 14, 2017 at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church.
The surviving children of John are: Michele Patricia Weaber (John) of Dataw Island, SC; Jonathan Jeffrey Van Kooten of Bethlehem, PA; Stephen Daniel Van Kooten of Bethlehem, PA; Peter John Van Kooten (Lucena) of Jacksonville, FL; Chris Andrea Fitzgerald of Palm Coast, FL; Kim Elizabeth Schander (Paul) of Elkton, FL; Dr. Patricia Yung Van Kooten-Weber (Ernst) of Monterey, CA; Andrew Gray Van Kooten of Bethlehem, PA; Paul Douglas Van Kooten (Judith) of Ocala, FL; Tara Mia Bonner (Tom) of Ormond Beach, FL; Cara Marie (Ronald) Telleysh of Orlando, FL and Amy Louise Van Kooten of Indio, CA.
Also surviving are 35 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, 1 niece, and 3 nephews.
John's late wife, Patricia, and four of their children preceded John in death: Cathy Ann in 1954; Tamara Louise in 1962; Georgie Ruth Woods (Jason) in 2011 and John Henry Van Kooten, Jr. in 2022. Three siblings were predeceased: a sister, Gertrude Abate (Anthony) of Marshfield, MA; a sister, Mary Vormeer (Yntze "Gene") of Hawthorne, NJ and a brother, Henry Van Kooten (Marion) of Tom's River, NJ, and one niece and one nephew.
On March 6, 1948, John was married to the late Patricia Gray Bullard of Paramus, NJ at Saint Anthony's Church in Hawthorne, NJ. They were married for 53 years and raised 16 children. Patricia was called to eternal rest on May 26, 2001 in Ormond Beach, FL. The family lived in Paterson, Fairlawn, Paramus, Ringwood and Carltondale, NJ. In 1964, the Van Kootens moved to Woodlane Farm in Allentown, PA. It was during this time that John and Pat became involved with Catholic Charities and Holt Children's Services. With the help and support of these organizations, they were able to adopt 5 children into their home and hearts. In addition, John and Pat also fostered 33 children in need of a temporary home while waiting for adoption.
In 1974, the Van Kootens moved to a beautiful home in Daytona Beach on Halifax Avenue. In 1986, they moved to Ocean Reef in Key Largo, FL before returning to Ormond Beach at a home they affectionately called "The Farm". Later, when widowed, John built a home in Flagler Beach on 11th Street. John was passionate about sharing his love of boating with family and friends.
John was educated in the parochial elementary schools of Hawthorne, NJ and graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1942. He was a graduate of the Merchant Marine Officer Training program. In 1943, at the age of 19, John enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and became a licensed Merchant Marine Officer skilled with using Morse code. He was eventually surged into the Navy serving as a Lieutenant during World War II on the S. S. William Windom for 3 ½ years. He was present during D-Day and the infamous Normandy Invasion serving as a communications officer. Following the war, he was honorably discharged in November of 1946. After his service to his country, John attended Rutgers University in New Jersey.
John learned carpentry from his father who used to build windmills in Holland. He worked on many construction projects in NJ and built some of his own homes over the years. John was a self-employed builder and developer and a licensed Realtor. He built apartment complexes in NY, NJ, and PA, along with shopping centers and office buildings in Allentown, Bethlehem, Wescosville, Kutztown and Wyomissing, PA. He was especially proud of the three high-rise office buildings he constructed in Iron Run Office Park in Fogelsville, PA: One Imperial Plaza, One Windsor Plaza, and Two Windsor Plaza. John was the owner and president of Vanland Construction Corp. headquartered at Two Windsor Plaza. He also assisted in the planning and construction of St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Allentown, PA. After moving to Florida, John continued his career with Devonshire Park Apartments in South Daytona Beach, Florida.
John's hobbies included traveling with his family in motor homes all around the country. He was affectionately called the "Big Bear" on the CB radio his handle was "The Happy Clown from Daytona Town"! Being a licensed ship's captain, he enjoyed taking his family and friends on boating trips up and down the Intercoastal Waterway for many years. One of his favorite boats was his 51' Sea Ray and he loved taking in views of the water. He was an expert navigator and predictor of the weather and its seas. He was unbeatable playing cards, especially rummy, and enjoyed arm wrestling too (he never lost)! His reward for winning included his favorite Neapolitan ice cream or aged Gouda cheese. His family and friends treasured his story telling and jokes, which inevitably ended with his hearty laugh! John made many trips to his homeland in Holland to visit his relatives and to see the home his father built in Naarden called "Julia Haus." He was an extremely generous man with his time, money, and advice. He embraced his faith with all his heart. His faith in God was evident daily, and he was blessed in return with a long, happy life. He loved, cherished, and prayed for his big family and his many, many friends who will all miss him dearly.
A vigil and visitation will be held at Haigh-Black Funeral Home, 167 Vining Ct., Ormond Beach, FL 32176, www.haigh-black.com, on Thursday, July 20th from 4 to 6 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, 915 N. Central Avenue, Flagler Beach, FL on Friday, July 21st at 12:00 noon followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
The Rite of Committal will take place at George Washington Memorial Park, 234 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652 on Saturday, July 29th at 11:15 am. Vander Plaat Memorial Home in Paramus, NJ is handling the arrangements. Family and friends will gather at Taverna on the Green, 314 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652 following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church; Holt International Children's Services, 250 Country Club Road, Eugene, OR 97401 or Catholic Charities of Allentown, 402 West Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18102.
John was young at heart and said, "The secret to a long life is to never see yourself as old." When facing a challenge think of a motto John would quote, "The difficult I am able to accomplish right away, the impossible takes me a little longer." John was a man who always did what was right, with love and kindness. Let us honor him by paying it forward.