Don was born March 21, 1936, in Kersey, Colorado, to William and Johanna (Tamminga) Van Wyke and moved to south Denver when he was 7. In 1958, he married Mildred “Millie” Veldhuizen in Woodstock, Minnesota. They were married for 63 years.
He graduated from Denver Christian High School in 1954 and from the University of Denver in 1959 with a degree in accounting. He was an auditor and worked for the U.S. Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency for 30 years until his retirement in 1998.
He was a member of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church.
Before moving to Centennial in 2016, Don and Millie lived in the University Hills neighborhood in south Denver for nearly 60 years.
Don loved the Colorado outdoors and was an avid bicyclist, hiker and snowshoer well into his 70s. He rode the weeklong “Ride the Rockies” bicycle ride several times and assisted with trail maintenance on the Colorado Trail. He also loved to watch the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche and Denver Broncos.
As empty nesters, Don and Millie traveled the world, including trips to Africa, Costa Rica, Western Europe, the British Isles, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria. They also traveled much of the U.S.
In addition to his wife, Millie, Don is survived by his three children, Craig (Sue) Van Wyke, Joan Van Wyke, and Jill Van Wyke; four grandchildren, Jamie (Bryan) Griswold, Sarah Van Wyke (Jozef Verhoef), Nathan Leys, and Ellen Leys; four great-grandchildren, Ella Griswold, Benjamin Griswold, Patrick Griswold, and Gwendolyn Verhoef; his sister, Janice Nyenhuis; and dozens of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, James “Jim” and William “Bill” Van Wyke; and his sister, Susan Jensen.
A private graveside service at Olinger Cemetery, Chapel Hill, is planned, with a public memorial service to be held at a later date. Olinger Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, is handling arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Colorado Trail Foundation, Holly Creek Retirement Community, or the American Cancer Society
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