Edward Van Der Molen (76) of Carol Stream went home to heaven on Sunday, March 6, after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family.

Ed was born on December 31, 1945, the third of six children of Bernard and Henrietta Van Der Molen. He attended Wheaton Christian Grammar School and Wheaton Academy, then received  a degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois. He met Debbie Hannay when they both attended a Wheaton College summer school program in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where they both gained not only a needed science credit but a lifelong love.

After Ed and Debbie married in 1968, Ed began his career as an engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Connecticut, then General Electric in Cincinnati, Ohio. At his father's request, he then returned to Wheaton to work with his family's business, Van Der Molen Disposal, for many years. Throughout this time, Ed and Debbie added Alyssa, Lori, Matt, and Sarah to their family over the course of 16 years, and being a father was one of his all-time greatest joys.

In 1989, he started a third career that became his favorite–campground ownership and consulting–when he purchased Jellystone Park in Warrens, Wisconsin. He brought his strong analytical skills to the campground industry and quickly became an expert in campground business planning and financial analysis. He loved sharing this expertise with others and helped many other campground owners, who became a circle of close friends, to grow their businesses. One of these friends recently reminisced that "It could be 7 AM or 7 PM and you would find Ed with a park owner, spreadsheets all over the table." Ed enjoyed spreadsheets the way some enjoy a great novel, and there was no topic or activity in Ed's life that couldn't be improved by a detailed analysis in Excel.

Throughout his life, Ed was generous with his time and money. He served on the boards of Wheaton Academy and Missionary Furlough Homes for many years. He was very involved at College Church, serving on the board of deacons and being highly involved in the church's building expansion. He was a Boys Brigade leader when his son was young. He made several trips to Africa to advise on the building of a nonprofit retreat center in Uganda. He donated the lodging, food, and entertainment to host multiple sessions of Camp Sunshine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. He also hosted retreats for the STARS Ministry of College Church for families who have a family member with an intellectual disability. He loved to utilize the resources God gave him to serve others and taught all of his children that "to whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48).

He remained constantly curious and involved, even throughout his 4 ½ year cancer journey. He wanted to build on his intermediate Spanish skills in order to communicate better with his son-in-law Roberto, so he took Spanish lessons online from Guatemala-based Christian Spanish Academy. In addition to enabling him to have long conversations with Roberto, his lessons allowed him to develop several close friendships in Guatemala. One of his last trips was to Guatemala to act as adopted Papa to give away his dear friend Yuli at her wedding. Ed loved being part of his breakfast club and their weekly breakfast and golf outings. He and Debbie have many decades-long friendships as part of their Life Group and Camel Club. He was a lifelong birder, who was still marking birds he saw for the first time in his last week of life while watching his many bird feeders out his window.

Ed was devoted first to God and second to his family. He is survived by Debbie, his loving wife of 53 years; children Alyssa (John) Harlan, Lori Van Der Molen, Matthew (Jennifer) Van Der Molen, Sarah (Roberto) Chiquitó; grandchildren Andrew, Brady, Emma, and Jonah Harlan, Trevon Roots, Asher and Marley Van Der Molen, and Sierra, Davíd, Jocelyn, and Ricardo Chiquitó; siblings Ginger Johnson, Debora Van Der Molen, and Jeff (Ann) Van Der Molen; and many beloved nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws, and close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Henrietta Van Der Molen, and sisters, Beverly Paigen and Gail Van Der Molen.

Memorial donations may be made to STARS Family Services , P. O. Box 1388, Wheaton, IL 60187 or Wheaton Academy , 900 Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago, IL 60185.

Hultgren Funeral Home of Wheaton is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be Friday, March 11, from 4-8 PM with a memorial service on Saturday, March 12, at 2 PM. Both will be held at College Church in Wheaton, 335 E. Seminary Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187, (North building). The service will also be live streamed through this link: Service for Edward Van Der Molen .

Ed was particularly known for his unflagging optimism. All through his cancer journey, when asked how he was doing, Ed always responded, "I feel great!" This last week he admitted he was not feeling so well. Now he is able to say again, for all eternity, "I feel great!"