- Date Of Birth: November 5, 1923
- Date Of Death: January 7, 2010
- State: Michigan
VANDER VEEN, Harold, Of Portage. Went to be with his Lord Thursday morning, January 7, 2010. Harold was born November 5, 1923 in Kalamazoo the son of John T. and Ada VanderVeen. On November 21, 1947 he was united in marriage to his loving wife of 62 years, the former Adelaide Nakken who survives.
Harold was a member of the First Reformed Church of Portage. Prior to his retirement, he was employed for 34 years with the Upjohn Company where he was the recipient of the prestigious Upjohn Award in 1967. Harold loved sports; in his younger years he enjoyed playing basketball, golf and horseshoes. He spent many summers in the U.P. at his cottage fishing and hunting and loved to travel out west to Texas and Arizona; and south to Florida.
Surviving besides his wife are 3 children, Karen Phil Connor of Cadillac, Jim Linda VanderVeen, Terri Dan Jager; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 2 brothers, John VanderVeen, Jr., Robert Alice VanderVeen; 2 brother-in-laws, Harry Bailey, William Brown; and many nieces and nephews. Harold was preceded in death by 4 sisters and 2 brothers, Josephine, Margaret, Claire, Janet, Tom, and Donald.
