Jules Vincent VanDersarl

The son of an Army Air Corps pilot, Jules called many places home during his youth, including Las Cruces (NM), El Paso (TX), Okinawa (Japan), Spokane (WA), Superior (WI), and Lincoln (NE).

In New Mexico, Jules was imprinted with a lifelong love of dogs (he had a Dalmatian, named Spotty), Mexican food, and the American Southwest.

In Okinawa, he developed a deep appreciation of Japanese aesthetics in art, architecture, and gardening. Especially memorable was the two-week journey on a Navy transport steamer to and from Okinawa. Jules loved exploring the ship, the nightly movie screenings, but especially the radio broadcast of Frank Leahy’s Notre Dame football teams played over the ship’s PA.

In Wisconsin, he developed a love for fishing, and enjoyed canoe excursions with his father in the Boundary Waters Wilderness on the Canadian border. It was also in Wisconsin that he gained a lifelong appreciation of scouting, something he would one day pass on to his children. Jules earned his Eagle Scout award at only 14 years of age, and attended the 1957 National Boy Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, PA.

In Nebraska, Jules reached a high level of music appreciation and skill in piano, organ, and in the school orchestra, where he served as drum major.

Perhaps most notable of his time in Lincoln, was that Jules forged himself into an outstanding golfer. Under his father’s tutelage, Jules developed a swing that generated a low ball flight with exacting accuracy - well suited for the tight lies and windy conditions of Nebraska golf courses. His steely determination and error proof game was unnerving to his competition, especially in match play, his favorite format. While at St. Pius X High School, Jules went on to win the Individual State High School Golf Championship three times. He also represented the state of Nebraska in the 1960 International Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament, where he unfortunately was defeated by future World Golf Hall of Fame member Raymond Floyd. Jules, along with his 1959 State Championship teammates, were inducted into the St. Pius X High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jules also excelled academically, and earned acceptance into his dream school, the University of Notre Dame. He started as a history major, with a desire to become a college professor, but he soon found his calling and changed to pre-medicine. He often joked that he was probably the only person to ever transfer into pre-med because he found Organic Chemistry to be so easy, and French to be so hard. Unfortunately, afternoon labs meant Jules could not play collegiate golf, but that did not prevent him from winning the campus open golf championship, which required him to defeat members of the varsity golf team.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1965, Jules went on to attend St. Louis University Medical School. It was in St. Louis that he met Missouri native Mary Martin, who became his wife. They eventually had four children.

After graduating medical school in 1969, Jules decided to specialize in Dermatology. He completed his internship at Keesler USAFA Medical Center (Biloxi, MS) in 1970, and his residency at Wilfold Hall USAFA Medical Center (San Antonio, TX) in 1973.

During his years as a physician in the Air Force, the family relocated every three-four years. The highlight was a three year assignment to Torrejon Air Base in Madrid, Spain. Every summer, he would take a long vacation to drive his young family all over Europe, instilling a love and appreciation for other cultures, people, and food.

Despite frequent moves his entire life, Jules viewed Colorado as his ancestral home, as it was the home of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His dream assignment was finally granted in 1985, when he was assigned to the USAF Academy Hospital as Chief of Dermatology, and eventually Chief of Medical Services. It would be his last assignment. He retired from the Air Force in 1991 as a Colonel, after 24 years of service.

From 1980 to 1985, Jules finally got to fulfill his dream of becoming a professor, when he served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Tulane Medical School. During his final 9 years in the Air Force, Jules served as the Chief Consultant to the USAF Surgeon General for Dermatology.

Upon retiring from the Air Force, Jules opened a private dermatology practice in Colorado Springs. For more than 26 years he enjoyed caring for and connecting with his patients.

Despite a career in science, Jules never lost his love and appreciation of art and music, and generously supported several music departments with materials and financial endowments.

In 2011, Jules had the opportunity to contribute to the restoration and memorialization of an airplane his grandfather and brothers built in Denver and flew in 1911, when they were only teenagers. This plane, now called the ‘VanDersarl Bleriot,’ has the designation as the oldest flyable American built aircraft, and is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. It is the oldest plane in the Smithsonian collection not built by the Wright brothers.

A believer in the benefits of scouting, Jules volunteered innumerable hours with the Boy and Girls Scouts, and enjoyed recreation though gardening, fishing, golf, and music. He had a specific love for classical piano, especially the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff, but never failed to impress when he sat down to play a ragtime or jazz standard. He loved Notre Dame, and supported all her sports teams, from football, to women’s basketball, to hockey – unfortunately resulting in too frequent heartbreak. More than anything, however, he was devoted to his family and enjoyed visiting his grandchildren, and supporting them all ways possible.

Just one week after celebrating his 80th birthday, Jules suffered a sudden health event while visiting family in Maryland. He died peacefully, surrounded by family on November 2, 2023.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mary; four children: Elizabeth (Kevin) Finnegan, Barbara VanDersarl Slocum, Lesley VanDersarl, and Jules (Deborah) VanDersarl; six grandchildren: Collin Finnegan; Vivian, Lydia, and Henry Slocum; and Jameson Jules and Vincent Jules VanDersarl; three sisters: Pamela Janine (Joseph) Paduh, Patricia (Timothy) Cobb, and Paula (Gary) Mosman; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

“Jules J. and Clovis J. VanDersarl Endowment for Science & Music,” at St. Pius X High School, 6000 A St, Lincoln, NE 68510 or at https://www.piusx.net/foundation/endowed-funds

“Jules John VanDersarl and Vincent Aubrey Vandersarl Endowed Fund for Music,” at New Mexico State University, PO Box 3590, Las Cruces, NM 88003-3590 or at https://artsci.nmsu.edu/giving/give-now.html