Kathleen Joanne Hoksbergen Vanderleest

Kathleen Joanne Hoksbergen VanderLeest was born on November 5, 1948, in the small town of Lynden, Washington, five miles from the Canadian border. Kathy was the second youngest of nine siblings. Her parents were Lewis and Bertha Hoksbergen. She was preceded in death by her siblings Tena, Robert, Alyce, John, and Ria. Her sister Bertha and brothers Lewis and George still reside in Washington State.

Kathy, as she was always known, grew up in a close-knit, faith-based environment, attending church regularly and the local Christian school. After graduating in 1966, she enrolled at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kathy earned a degree in science and a license to practice medical technology, a profession in which she excelled for over 40 years. No matter where life took her family, she was always able to find meaningful work and serve others through her profession.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Lawrence “Larry” Dale VanderLeest. Together, they shared a life marked by faith, flexibility, and a willingness to embrace wherever they were called. Over the years, they lived in Chandler, Minnesota; Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Mount Vernon, Washington; Pella, Iowa; the Chicago area; and Whidbey Island, Washington—forming lasting friendships and deep connections along the way.

In each community, Kathy quickly became an integral part of her church, involving herself in children’s worship programs and other leadership roles. She had a genuine love for children and, of course, for her twelve grandchildren.

Kathy was immensely proud of her four children and who they married: Carissa Graves (Garret) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Tricia Burley (Todd) of Washington State; Kirk VanderLeest (Kara) of Idaho; and Keith VanderLeest (Karen) of New Jersey.

Kathy and Larry shared a love of adventure. Over their 55 years together, they traveled across North America numerous times by car and motorcycle. They visited Japan, Bolivia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Egypt; biked across the Netherlands; and even spent six months on a working stay in the Virgin Islands. To celebrate her 60th birthday, Kathy, along with her two daughters and sons-in-law, summited Mount Baker—an experience that reflected her strength, determination, and joy for life.

Kathy passed away on April 8, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. at St. James Place in Baton Rouge.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Kathy’s life through a memorial gift to Lynden Christian Schools, where she and her eight siblings were educated and where the foundation of her faith and devotion to family began: https://www.lyncs.org/support-us/

The family extends their sincere gratitude to the caring teams at St. James Place and Audubon Hospice for their compassion and support.Kathy’s love for life, for God’s people, and for all of His creation will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Kathy’s love for life, for God’s people, and for all of His creation will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.