Jim Van Lew

After many years of bravely facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease, Jim Van Lew, age 79, died on November 5, 2013 at Edgewater Retirement Community in West Des Moines. Jim’s family will visit with friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on November 8, 2013 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway. The funeral service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, 10395 University Avenue, on November 9, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery.

Throughout his life, Jim remained proud of his Kansas roots. He was born in Atchison, Kansas in 1934, the middle child of Fern and Bill Van Lew. The family lived in Horton, Kansas for a few years before moving to Belleville, Kansas where Jim graduated from high school. Following two years at the University of Kansas, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the military police at the Presidio of California. After serving his country, Jim returned home to Kansas where he graduated from Emporia State University, and then studied economics in the graduate program at Kansas State University. In 1961 he moved to Des Moines where he began his career in the group underwriting department of the Bankers Life Company, now Principal Financial Group.

In 1963 Jim and Alice Peterson were married at Zion Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and together they raised three daughters. Jim’s career included group sales positions in the Kansas City, Wichita, and Los Angeles offices. In 1977 he returned to the home office in Des Moines where he worked in sales management and group underwriting. Before his retirement, Jim and Alice lived for a few months in both Mexico City and Santiago, Chile where the company was expanding globally. They also lived a few months in Bethesda, Maryland when Jim worked in the Principal government relations office in Washington DC. Jim retired in 1995 as Vice President after a 35 year career with Principal Financial Group. Jim was always devoted to his family while being a loyal employee of a company to which he was proud to be associated.

Jim will be remembered for his positive attitude and upbeat personality which brightened the lives he touched. It was fun to be with Jim because of his quick wit and ability to spin a story. He loved spending time with his family playing Rummikub, enjoying ice cream stirred to the perfect consistency, sitting on a curb watching a parade, strolling through the animal barns at the Iowa State Fair, driving his 1962 Chevrolet Super Sports Impala, and sipping a glass of Rafanelli. Jim was a man of faith who loved singing loudly to traditional old hymns at Sunday worship. Jim’s patriotism was displayed each time he stood proud and tall at the sight of an American flag.

Left to cherish these memories and many more are his wife, Alice; his daughters, Kristin (Brad) Johnson of Parkville, MO, Carol (John) Gschwendtner of Eden Prairie, MN, Anne (Jay) Fogarty of Clive, IA; his grandchildren, Alex and Nicole Johnson, Jack, Lydia and Leah Gschwendtner, and Connor and Nora Fogarty; and his sister, Pat (Gerald) Holmberg of Belleville, KS. Preceding him in death were his parents and his brother, William Van Lew.

Jim’s family would like to thank the staff at Edgewater memory support and skilled nursing centers for the excellent care Jim received as a resident there, and for the compassion extended to the family.

If friends would like to give a memorial, the family suggests contributions be made to Faith Lutheran Church, the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation or the Alzheimer’s Association in support of research.

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