Terry Van Der Tuuk

Terry's exposure to business began early. As a boy in Lansing, Michigan, he closely observed his father, watching his ventures and recognizing his deep determination. As a result, Terry's entrepreneurial spirit shined bright from the very beginning. At ten, he collected hangers to sell to the local dry cleaner and gathered newspapers to sell to moving companies.

In 1963, he graduated from Michigan State University and then served three years in Trinidad as an officer in the Navy. He went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School in 1968 with an MBA. Equipped with academic and practical experience, he moved into careers in consulting, sales, and executive management at Allis Chalmers, A.T. Kearney, Select Brands, and Helzberg Diamonds. All the while he searched for an opportunity to put his skills to work at an entrepreneurial level.

Terry found that opportunity in 1978, when he purchased Graphic Technology, Inc. (GTI), a failing, fledgling barcode manufacturer. He saw something in GTI and managed to turn the company around in short order. Terry was a hard-driving businessman. Following several years of dramatic growth, he took GTI public on the American Stock Exchange in 1983. Just three years later, GTI was named the "Top Small Growth Company in America" by Forbes magazine.

In 1989, Nitto-Denko Corporation purchased GTI, and Terry remained active as Chairman for eleven more years.

Never one to slow down, in 2000 Terry started VanKan, Inc., a venture capital firm dedicated to helping private startups in the Midwest. He loved talking to people about their goals and helping other entrepreneurs realize their dreams through investment and mentorship. He was honored in 1988 as the third recipient of the Regional Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2014, he was part of the inaugural class of inductees into the UMKC Bloch School Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. He served on several educational and corporate boards, including the Johnson County Community College Foundation, Wharton Entrepreneurial Center Board, and HemaCare.

Terry was a lifelong learner and read incessantly. He enjoyed travel, WWII documentaries, and sitting with his computer on his lap day trading. He also used every coupon available to him. He cherished his family. In the words of his grandson Quinn, "Opa had the ability to know how to best motivate people, to advise, to advocate, and love in his own way." We will forever miss the wisdom, joy, and strength he surrounded us with.

Terry was blessed to share his life with two wonderful women. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Janie Richter Van Der Tuuk. They married June 20, 1964 and enjoyed 39 years of marriage before she passed away in 2003. He is survived by his second wife of 19 years, Diane Walton Van Der Tuuk. Terry also leaves behind three children from his marriage with Janie: Stacy (Tyler) Benson, Leawood, KS; Jeff Van Der Tuuk, Chicago, IL; and Julie (Terry) Tsigos, Houston, TX. His five grandchildren included Tate and Quinn Benson, and Helena, Janie, and Evan Tsigos. He is also survived by three siblings, Judy McQueen, Jill (Rod) Perkins, and Michael (Connie) Van Der Tuuk.

A Celebration of Life will be held on February 17, 2024 at 11 AM at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64145. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or Operation Breakthrough.

"We seem to sweep through like the clouds, but the rock of us remains." Unknown