Ellen van Halem

For over 30 years, she worked as a school bus driver for the Toms River School District in Toms River, NJ before her retirement in 2001. She also served as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for the East Dover First Aid Squad for 29 years and served in multiple leadership positions. She was a devout member of St. Justin’s Roman Catholic Church in Toms River, NJ for many years before her retirement and served as a Eucharistic Minister and President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society responsible for delivering food and providing shelter to those in need. She also loved camping and traveling the country with her family and friends.

Mrs. van Halem is survived by her daughters, Donna McCarthy (Glenn) of Toms River, NJ and Kathy van Halem of Chapin; sons, Brian van Halem (Christine) of Burlington, NC and Wayne van Halem of Atlanta, GA; daughter-in-law, Theresa van Halem of Snow Camp, NC; as well as six grandchildren (Logan, John, Rebecca, Amanda, and Trever) and four great grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband, Cornelis “John” van Halem; son, John E. van Halem, Sr. and granddaughter, Jordan van Halem.

A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2023, what would have been her 85th birthday, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with inurnment to follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to NAMI Mid-Carolina at www.namimid-carolina.org or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org

Ellen’s children would like to extend a special thank you to George and Linda Hines, from Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, for the years of loving kindness and devotion shown in their weekly visits to our mother.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.caughmanchapin.com for the van Halem family.