James Mac Van Leeuwen

James Mac Van Leeuwen (or Jim) made the world better! On September 9th, this extraordinary father, grandfather, husband, social worker, and friend, began his next journey after 92 years of wandering this earth by trains, plains, and automobiles… and the occasional cruise ship. He loved road trips, Manhattans, and the Arizona desert. Jim was born on June 4th, 1932, to Sam and Lucille Van Leeuwen in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To his very last breath, he remembered his mom playing piano for the likes of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and retold the many stories of his Dad driving Chryslers from Detroit to the showroom floor. He went to high school at South and college at Aquinas. A true Spartan through and through, he graduated with his master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, directed programs for thousands of wayward youths around the country, and accumulated friends from every corner of the United States from Sumter, South Carolina to East Palo Alto. A social worker for over 40 years, Jim cared deeply for underserved, underrepresented youth and helped them find their way. He married a first-grade teacher who also believed that teaching and service truly makes a difference. They married on May 4th, 1973, and moved to Denver where he worked for Jefferson Center for Mental Health and Jefferson County Public Schools for over 20 years.

Jim was pre-deceased by his wife Mary. He is survived by his brother/sister in-laws Dr. Jerry & Barb Van Leeuwen, and 17 nieces and nephews. Jim will be missed every day by their two loving and rambunctious children; his daughter and community leader Janene Van Leeuwen (and her dogs Gus, Simon, and Kenzie); his wandering son Jamie Van Leeuwen and his husband Andrei Parvan; and his grandson Troy Murphy.

The family requests in-lieu of flowers that you perform a random act of kindness in your community and tell them "Mary & Jim Sent Us!" He thought fondly of the Global Livingston Institute (www.globallivingston.org) and All Faith Community Services Food Bank. Services will be held on Saturday, October 19th at 11 a.m. at the Church at Litchfield Park followed by a reception.