John Van Dyke 1945 - 2019

VAN DYKE, ANDREWS, GEIGER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/10/2019 at 21:52:22

Sioux City Journal
29 August 2019

San Mateo, Calif., formerly Sioux City

John Van Dyke, 74, longtime civic and business leader in Sioux City, died in the arms of his family on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in San Mateo. Van Dyke served as mayor of Sioux City from 1984 to 1986.

John William Van Dyke Jr. was born in East Orange, N.J., in 1945, to John William Van Dyke Sr. and Elaine Van Dyke (Andrews). His birth coincided with his father’s service in World War II, after which the family returned to Sioux City, where John and his younger brother, Tom, were raised. John attend Bryant Elementary and North Junior High School. As a child, John played golf at the Sioux City Country Club, put on magic shows for the neighbors and played on the banks of Perry Creek (against his parents' wishes). The family spent summers at Gull Lake in northern Minnesota, where John ultimately spent summers working at Madden's Resort and met his wife, Mary Geiger, whose family had a neighboring cabin.

He attend high school at Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minn., where he graduated in 1964. He then attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where he majored in economics, played four years of varsity golf and served as golf team captain, and was member of the Zeta Psi fraternity, graduating in 1967. From Dartmouth, John moved on to graduate school at the University of Chicago where he earned an MBA and studied under Milton Friedman, graduating in 1969.

John and Mary married in 1968 and moved to Sioux City following John's Chicago gradation. John worked for the next 20 years at family-owned Toy National Bank, ultimately as president and chairman of the board following in the tradition of his family including his father and great-grandfather, James F. Toy. He simultaneously pursued several other business ventures, including Redfield Scopes, Hawkeye Refrigerated Services and served as a director of Jiffy Lube.

John's countless roles of civic leadership included president of the Boys Club, support of Mary's founding of the Girls Club of Sioux City, Junior Achievement, trustee of Briar Cliff College, and trustee of St. Vincent Hospital and Marion Health Center.

John was elected to the city council of Sioux City in 1983 and ultimately appointed mayor by the council in 1986. Later, John was appointed by Governor Terry Branstad as the first chairman of the Iowa Lottery.

In 1988, John and Mary moved to San Mateo and resided there since. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, he continued his business and civic activities in California, including investment in several Silicon Valley start-up companies, his own water desalination company, the Mid Peninsula Boys and Girls Club, Home and Hope and College Heights Church.

John was married to Mary over 50 years. His family will best remember him for his kindness and good nature, quick wit and ability to make people smile. He graciously lived his final years with Alzheimer's disease and ultimately died of heart failure. In addition to Mary, he is survived by his son, Bill of California; daughter, Jane of Minnesota; their spouses; and five grandchildren.

Memorials in his name may be sent to Mission Hospice of San Mateo, 1670 South Amphlett Blvd., Suite 300, San Mateo, CA 94402, www.missionhospice.org.