Donald R. “Zeke” Van Zee
VAN ZEE, LOURENS, ROSENCRANS, ZIMMERMAN, TILLMAN, MONSMA, VEENSTRA
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 9/2/2015 at 09:23:29
Donald R. “Zeke” Van Zee, 74, of Iowa City passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2015. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, September 3, 2015 at Lensing Funeral Home, 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City. Visitation will be from 9 am until service time. Private burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the UIHC Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center or to the Briarwood Memorial Fund.
Don was born on May 24, 1941 in Newton, IA, the son of Martin and Gertrude (Lourens) Van Zee. He grew up in rural Jasper County and was a 1959 graduate of Prairie City High School. A short time after graduating from high school, Don enlisted in the United States Army where he learned to operate computers and where his fellow servicemen gave him the nickname “Zeke.” Following his service, he attended the University of Iowa for four years and continued his work in computer operations. On September 19, 1970, Zeke married Beth Rosencrans at her family’s cabins on the bluffs of the Osage River near Henley Missouri. Later on, they moved to an acreage southwest of Iowa City where their children grew up and where Zeke raised cattle and an assortment of other livestock. During this time Zeke continued his career as a computer systems analyst, which spanned 42 years beginning at the Measurement Research Center in Iowa City, and culminating in his retirement from Pearson as a Software Engineer in 2007.
Zeke had many hobbies, among them he enjoyed fishing, golfing, woodworking, gardening, and making “Zeke’s salsa.” He loved his time and travels with his family and friends. Zeke was a member of the Riverside VFW Post #6414. He will be dearly missed by many.
Survivors include his wife Beth of Iowa City, their two children: Amanda Van Zee (Craig Zimmerman) and their children Mia, Macy and Ian Zimmerman all of Downers Grove, IL and Peter Van Zee (Carmen Tillman) of North Liberty, IA; two sisters: Dorothy (Dr. Kenneth) Monsma of Pella, IA and Marlene (Dr. Charles) Veenstra of Sioux Center, IA; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Zeke was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Merwin.
Zeke’s family would like to extend their appreciation to the Holden Cancer Center staff and to the staff at Briarwood Health Care Center for the wonderful care they provided to Zeke.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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