Roland Durham Van Guilder (1928-2016)

VAN GUILDER, BURCHETTA, HEMINGSON

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 8/7/2016 at 09:20:59

Obituary from the Rutland Herald, Rutland, Vermont:

Roland Durham Van Guilder, age 88, recently of Bloomington, MN, and of Rockford, IL, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, June 26, peacefully at his home in Friendship Village with dignity, grace and love, all of which he has passed on to his family.

Roland was born April 19, 1928, on the farm where he was raised in Middletown Springs, VT, to Elizabeth and Raymond Van Guilder, who both preceded him in death. He was the youngest of nine children and the last to leave the farm with his parents, moving to Rutland, VT.

In 1946, he met the love of his life, Frances Burchetta, and on July 3, 1948, they were married in Devon, CT. He dearly missed his Fran, who passed a year ago, March 2015, after 67 years of marriage.

After serving in the U.S. Navy in the Korean War, Van graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He then went to work for Sundstrand as Plant Engineer/Plant Manager for his entire 30+ year career. He was highly regarded by those on the floor as well as by his peers.

Van was welcoming and endearing to all, and set the standards high for his two surviving daughters, Christine (Mark) Hemingson of Austin, TX, and Linda Van Guilder (Jon Kuehl) of Minnetonka, MN. Van is also honored by his granddaughters Lindsey Hemingson and Polly Hemingson (Austin, TX).

A memorial Mass will be held in Rockford, IL, on Saturday, July 16, at Cor Mariae Chapel, 3330 Maria Linden Drive at 10:45 a.m., where the family will receive guests prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel lobby.

Published in Rutland Herald on July 2, 2016.