Brent Van Kampen

On April 10, 2023. Heaven called home a most exceptional man, Brent Van Kampen. If you knew him, you would have never known that he was suffering with any ailment or difficulty but in February 2023 we were shocked to discover he had late stage lung cancer and Parkinson’s. He courageously and honorably endured and passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving and dedicated wife and family.

Brent was born on August 4, 1938 to Dan R. and Afton Boman Van Kampen. He grew up in Ogden Utah with his 2 brothers, 1 older, Dale, and 1 younger, Danny. At the age of 13 he was stricken with Polio and couldn’t speak. He was miraculously healed. In the summers he worked the family’s Hereford cattle ranch in Driggs, Idaho. At an early age he developed a love for music that was unmatched. Every day he carried home a tuba bigger than he was. He learned many instruments and excelled at the clarinet and piano. His dedication to learning the piano was inexhaustible as he spent early mornings before school sneaking into the music hall and pushing the piano out from the wall to practice EVERY day! Even in his later years he would spend hours playing the piano!

Brent graduated from Ogden High on May 31, 1956 and received numerous scholarships to attend college. He was called to serve a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Eastern States Mission. He especially enjoyed serving in New York. His musical abilities shined wherever he would go and his mission was no exception. Brent was privileged to be a part of a musical variety group known as the Mormon-Aires which consisted of 6 young men, all with exceptional musical talents. They performed all over the Eastern States for many large groups of people with crowds as large as 40,000. They performed 155 concerts and even appeared on 9 television networks.

Upon returning from his mission he attended the University of Utah. It was in the concert band that he met his beautiful wife, Pattie Rae Hansen. He played the clarinet and she played the flute. They fell in love and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 18, 1961. They spent over 60 beautiful years together and were blessed with 3 children, 16 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. Brent always said he married himself a movie star! And we all agree. But she is more than that! She is an angel and his eternal love and constant companion. They loved and supported each other with a love like no other! She has cared for him and has been right by his side in every aspect of their lives. Whatever they did, they were together.

After he graduated from the U in 1962, Brent taught music in Vernal, Utah and then at Murray High in Salt Lake City. He was the band director and was privileged to take his marching band of 100 members, along with his wife, on tour internationally. Under his direction, the Murray Band won 1st place at the Edmonton Klondike Days and 2nd at the Calgary Stampede in Canada. They performed in many parades and concerts and won numerous local and regional honors. Brent also worked for Fruhauf Uniforms designing and selling band uniforms to many universities and High schools. For many years he also taught private piano lessons out of his home. He was also a very skilled piano tuner.

In 1973 Brent decided to pursue another passion of his and opened his own Boat Business known as Crusader Marine. He often took his family boating and wherever he went people knew him! He also took his customers to the lake and taught them how to use their boat. That was unheard of! Many a boating trip was spent fixing problems, and rescuing other boaters and their families. Stickers with his hand drawn logo can still be found on boats and trailers. Many boat owners were not only his customers but became lifelong friends. We grew up waterskiing, going on trips to boat conventions, and going to Lake Powell and Lake Mead. There are so many wonderful memories from these times together.

Brent was a salesman of extraordinary caliber. In his later years, he sold motorhomes, cars and pianos. He had a unique sales technique and demonstrated different pianos by sitting down and expertly playing. He recognized different personalities in his customers and knew what they each needed to close the deal. If anyone ever needed a new car we knew who to call! And his connections in numerous car dealerships helped many friends and family to get a great deal!

He took pride in everything he ever owned! His boat, his truck, and every car was always shined and waxed to perfection! In later years he always said as he slowed down he had to get a stronger, faster car to compensate. He loved Chryslers. And has owned many of them. His Chrysler 300C with the 485 horsepower hemi engine was his pride and joy and absolute delight! It can go up to 160 mph. He drove it everywhere up to the very day until he went to the hospital in February.

In 1996 He brought home the second love of his life, his 9 ft Petrof Concert Grand Piano made in the Czech Republic. The house had to be remodeled to fit it but there was nothing like hearing him play it! One of his favorite things to do was play mini concerts, duets and quartets involving multiple sets of hands and multiple pianos at the same time.

His work ethic was unmatched. We tried, but no one could ever out work him! He would never give up until a job was completely finished and done with excellence. He taught us that you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough!! Brent has served faithfully in many callings and positions within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He especially enjoyed serving in the Salt Lake Temple along with his wife and playing the Organ in the Temple until it was closed for renovations.

Brent has always been a fisherman! He even made it to Alaska with his son, Tyler. He used fishing trips to build relationships and over the years has spent many days on the water with a friend, his nephews, his children and grandchildren. Every trip ended in wiping down the boat and then coming home and fileting the fish, grilling them and eating them. It was a joy to us all!

He was the consummate sports fan and was a loyal season ticket holder and dedicated fan of the Utah Jazz, the University of Utah, and the NFL, among others.

We can’t ever remember a year that there hasn’t been a garden growing in the backyard! He would tend it with dedication. The tomatoes were always abundant and his pride and joy. The yard was always beautiful and manicured, a gathering place for family. He always wanted to be right in the middle of the action and right next to his grandkids big and small. Playing pool, badminton, ping pong, throwing a ball, playing backyard games, doing a puzzle, BBQ’s, grilling a steak to perfection, eating a freshly grilled hamburger, making homemade ice cream, celebrating a birthday, doing fireworks, planting flowers, sitting on the patio on the swing eating a popsicle, and hearing Grandpa’s stories are fond memories for us all!

Brent was an artist! He could draw anything. His drafting skills were also beyond compare. If there was ever a project to be done he would draw up a plan. It didn’t matter how big or how small. He drew up the plans and measured with accuracy and filled in every perfect detail. He could build, construct, or fix anything and solve any kind of problem. If your car or anything else needed fixing he always came to the rescue. Indeed Grandpa could fix everything, even those things that others said were unfixable!

Brent was tough! If something was hurting him you never would have known it! He pushed forward and onward and never let anything get him down! The greatest gift he has ever given each one of us was knowing how much he loved us. He loved us with his entire soul and complete dedication and was always there to support us in all that we did! We hope heaven can heal our hearts from missing him. He lived an honorable life, filled with purpose and accomplishment. His legacy of faith, tenacity, hard work, dedication, and generosity, will live on forever! We love you! Until we meet again.

His parents Dan R. and Afton Van Kampen preceded him in death as did his 2 brothers, Dale Van Kampen and Dan W. Van Kampen and his granddaughter, Amanda Rossow. The living who mourn his passing are many: His eternal companion, Pattie Rae Hansen Van Kampen. His children, Kimberly(Kevin) Rossow, Tyler(Elayne)Van Kampen, and Heather(Denny) Guymon. His greatest work was to love, serve and teach his grandchildren: Nathan, Ben, Kamie, Kevin, Sophia, Porter, Sidney, Bram, Brinley, Brielle, Evan, Carsten, Brezlyn, Norah, and Bryton. His great grandchildren brought him tremendous joy: Emma, Oliver, Amelia, Francisco, Leo, Flora, Rocky, Kristen, Remy, Rex, Mason, Maddox, Lennon and Brooks.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of his life on Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:00 am with a viewing prior from 10:00-10:45 am, at the LDS Chapel located at 1355 E 7200 S Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Additionally, the family will hold a viewing Thursday, April 20th from 6-8 pm at the same location. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.