Gary Van Dyk

Gerrit “Gary” Van Dyk, of Plymouth, Minnesota, passed away Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at his home at The Waters of Plymouth. Gerrit A. (Gary) Van Dyk was born on a farm in Marion County, Iowa, on June 18, 1933, to Gerrit A. and Reino Tilma Van Dyk. He graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1951. Gary married Dorothy Walker on July 2, 1954, at the First Christian Church in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Gary was employed by Western Electric as an installation technician. Early in his career, Gary and Dorothy moved for his job from town to town within Iowa, eventually settling in Cedar Rapids. He later worked for AT&T as an engineer, retiring in Denver, Colorado, as a senior engineer in 1985. While he loved his work with the phone company, he never lost his passion for farming, initially buying land in Cedar Rapids and later in Colorado, where the family moved in 1964. He farmed grain in the eastern plains of Colorado from 1972 through 2016. He found joy in all aspects of farming, from the solace of being in his tractor to tinkering with things that needed to be fixed. Gary was a generous and loving man who loved Jesus deeply and found joy in helping others. He will be remembered by his signature cowboy hat, his jovial spirit, and his trademark “wonerful” when asked how he was doing. Gary is survived by his wife, Dorothy Van Dyk of Plymouth, Minnesota; a son, Rick (Christie) Van Dyk; daughters, Debra (Dan) Schultz and Julie (Neil) McKay; six grandchildren: Dustin (Kasey) Van Dyk, Nicole (Dan) Opalewski, Kyle (Amanda) Schultz, Matthew (Kimberly) McKay, Jessica (Benj) Nault and Erin McKay. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren: Kaleb Schultz; Jaxon and Sawyer Schultz; Addison, Garrett, and Parker Van Dyk. Gary was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Connie Jo, who died in 1964; two brothers, Frank and Raymond Van Dyk; and three sisters: Jennie DeGeus, Cora McCall, and Lorena Warder. Funeral Services for Gary will be held at 1:15 p.m., May 11, 2024, at Langkamp Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery with immediate family. The family will greet visitors from 12:30 p.m. to service time on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Gary Van Dyk

June 18, 1933 - April 30, 2024