William "Bill" Vanderlaan

William "Bill" Vanderlaan, 86, passed away Wednesday, September 04, 2019 in Virginia Beach. He was born March 30,1933, in Witmarsum, Friesland, a province of the Netherlands, to the late Pieter and Remke (Kramer) Vanderlaan. While still living in the Netherlands, Bill became engaged to his soon-to-be wife, Rita Faber. He moved to the USA in 1956, followed by Rita in 1957. They married on May 31, 1957 in Paterson, NJ. Bill worked at the Holland America Line in New York in the 1960s and later retired from the Atlantic Container Line as a Mechanics Foreman in 1997. Upon retirement Bill and Rita designed and built the home of their dreams near Amherst, VA where they enjoyed life together in a quiet and peaceful setting. Bill enjoyed the antique radio hobby and was an avid amateur radio operator, communicating with people all over the globe. He was well read on a variety of subjects and loved to study the Bible. He loved to spend quality time with his family. Bill is survived by his wife, Rita (Faber) Vanderlaan; son, Peter William Vanderlaan, of Virginia Beach, VA; son, John Theodore Vanderlaan and wife, Terri, of Hertford, NC; daughter, Regina Irene Mansoor, of Amherst, VA; daughter, Carol Ann Smallman and husband, Sean, of Virginia Beach, VA; son, Timothy Andrew Vanderlaan and wife, Angela, of Goldsboro, NC; daughter, Diane Elaine Joosse and husband, Dan, of Chillicothe, OH; twenty eight grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Remmelt van der Laan and Hessel van der Laan; and one sister, Truus van der Meer, all of the Netherlands. Bill is predeceased by his son, Franklin Kenneth Vanderlaan; brothers Piet, Pier, Gooitzen, and Johannes van der Laan; and his sister, Rika Elgersma. A visitation will be held on Monday, September 9, 2019 from 6-8PM at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 6329 E Virginia Beach Blvd, Norfolk, with a funeral service on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 1PM, with a burial to follow in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.