Francis Henry "Van" Vanden Heuvel

Francis Henry "Van" Vanden Heuvel, born June 10,1923 in Sauk Centre, MN to Anton and Lydia (Lambert) Vanden Heuvel, passed away on October 26,2012 at the age of 89. Van joined the Army Air Corps at age 17 and flew many missions as a gunner in World War II. Van was a mechanical contractor and moved to Phoenix in the early 1960s where he and Robert Wooley started Precision Plumbing and helped build many of the early high rises on Central Ave. While on business in Corona, CA he met Fay (who later became his wife). They met when he invited her to dance. She invited him to attend church with her the next day and from then on he loved her and the Seventh Day Aventist Church. He had previously lived in Euphrates, Washington and had good friends who were Adventists so he easily accepted the Adventist faith after hearing Elder Calvin Osborn preach that first sabbath in 1966.

Van was baptised by Elder John Stevens. They formed a friendship and started remodeling Thunderbird Adventist Academy and built Phoenix Central Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Glendale Adventist Church. He supported and helped with the Holbrook Indian School and Camp Yavapines, the Adventist camp ground in Prescott. He also helped build the Camelback Thunderbird Elementary School, Mesa Palms Seventh Day Adventist Church and Chandler Seventh Day Adventist Church.

In the early 1970s he was introduced to Maranatha Volunteers and took two of his sons, Gary and Alvin, to Yellow Knife, in the Northern Terratories on a building project. He was so impressed with the work being done that he gave up his successful business and the lifestyle that accompanied it. He and Fay traveled the world to build churches and orphanages. Van is affectionately referred to as "The Father of Maranatha".

Van is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Fay Vanden Heuvel; sons Stephen Vanden Heuvel, Michael Vanden Heuvel, Daniel Vanden Heuvel, Gary Vanden Heuvel and Alvin Vanden Heuvel. Also by his step children: Cynthia Brunner, Joseph Bucalo Jr, Antoinette "Toni" Elliott, Sara Lawton and Cheryl Clark as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren and one "adopted son" Don Noble.