George Vanderheiden

George was surrounded by his wife & three daughters when he left this world peacefully in his sleep on October 13, 2022. He lived 76 adventurous, hard-working, self-sacrificing & loved-filled years before succumbing to cancer. George’s love of life & sense of humor kept everyone laughing right until the end.

He will always be lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Sharon; his daughters and sons-in-law, Nicole and Andy, Heather and Derek, and Chrissy and Matt. He treasured family and we all love hearing stories from his brother, Philip and sister-in-law, Karen. He was loved by all family members dearly.

His sense of adventure and zest for life lives on in his nine grandchildren who lovingly called him “Boppy.”  He was the kind of grandfather who took “playing like a kid” to heart. “Play is the work of childhood,” was one of his many favored quotes. George was a true kid at heart. 

There are countless accomplishments we could list for George; but we feel that his greatest legacy is the ripple effect he spread in so many people’s lives. He instilled hope, created opportunities, inspired people to think big, enjoy nature, and looked for ways to make things better for others.

Since there is nothing we can take with us from this life, we should try to leave behind as much as possible. Those who have been successful have an even greater responsibility to make an impact with our time, talents and resources.  - George 

Thank you, George/Dad for leaving the world a much better place than you had found it. We love you deeply.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating that money to your favorite charity.  One of his favorite sayings was,  “Alleviate pain & spread joy.” Please do so!

Celebrate George & pay tribute in your own unique way, as everyone knew him differently. Paying tribute to his legacy may involve simply enjoying the beauty of nature, eating ice cream (no gummy bears!), “beating the market,” playing with your kids/grandkids, telling scary stories around a campfire, climbing a mountain, playing Pickleball!, and of course…eating dessert first!