John "Jd" D. Van Etten

When you hear the word Dad, what comes to mind? Strength, compassion, dependability, a teacher, someone who is there for you whenever you need them no matter what? Fortunately, JD was all of these things and so much more. He had an insatiable love for having fun no matter where he was or who he was with. It was this desire for not only his own fun but his desire to ensure that those around him had fun too that will be sorely missed.

Family was the cornerstone of JD’s life. He was born in Michigan, but lived in many different places while he was growing up. His fondest childhood home was probably in Eureka, Michigan where he, his older sister Connie, and his younger brother Rick, lived with his parents Robert and Evangeline, and down the street from his grandmother. When he was a teenager, he moved to Bradenton Beach and would become, from that point forward, a lifelong resident of the Manatee County area. He would often regale people with stories of the fun he had growing up with his friends and loved ones on the Island.

He spent countless days telling his children, Michael, Christopher, and Daniel, stories and teaching them how to have fun in life. He taught them how to fish, boat, shoot bows, dive, to always live up to your word, to be honest men, to give whatever you do your all, and so many other things. He was truly happy teaching others how to do those things that he loved. Once his grandchildren were born, he began the process again: Teaching, having fun, and helping this next generation discover all that he knew and could pass on.

From the time they were born, JD’s grandchildren were his world. Neither his love of riding nor his hobby of collecting guns compared to the passion he had for his grandchildren. There was never a happier man than was JD when all five of his grandchildren, John, Sebastian, Isabella, Cain, and Emily, would come to his house and play. Whether he was joining them in a game of pirates or simply leaning back with a smile on his face as he watched them play, you could tell, and he would gladly tell you, how very much he loved spending time with them.

Family meant more than mere blood to JD. It also meant his friends. Many of his friends went back when he was to where he was a teenager growing up on Bradenton Beach where they would shark fish and eat pizza at the end of the piers together. Other friends he met during his profession which he practiced from the time he was sixteen when he would hitchhike miles to work each day while he saved up enough money to buy his first car. Still others he met while he engaged in his favorite activities. And among these people, he often treated their children the same wonderful way he treated his children and grandchildren. He touched each and every one of these people in meaningful and powerful ways. The lessons he bestowed will never be forgotten and will be passed on for generations.

He is survived by his sister, Connie, and his brother, Rick; Three sons, Micheal Van Etten, Chris Van Etten, and Daniel Van Etten; and five grandchildren, John, Cain, Sebastian, Isabella, and Emily.

Arrangements under the direction of Manasota Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Bradenton, FL.