Jerry VanVleck

All who knew Jerry VanVleck would agree that he certainly put the spice into life. He was the sort of person who wasn’t afraid to do things his own way, and he was game to try just about anything once. Blessed to find the love of his life, Jerry was overjoyed to be a father, and his son and daughter were the light of his life. He had a generous spirit that made him willing to do whatever he could to help in ways both great and small. Taken from his loved ones much too soon, Jerry will be deeply missed while his memory remains forever near and dear to all those within his reach.

The 1970s were a transformational time in American history. The Vietnam War divided us, impeachment proceedings topped the daily news, which led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and women and minorities continued to fight for equal rights. It was as this eventful decade was drawing to a close that a young couple from Kankakee, Illinois, was pleased to announce the birth of their son on July 23, 1979. Jerry Robert was one of four children born to Jerry and Phyllis (Bleyle) VanVleck, Sr, joined in his family by his sisters, Gina, Phyllis Ann, and Hope. He made his arrival just a half an hour after his mother got to the hospital, and he weighed in at a healthy nine pounds and was 22 inches long. Jerry’s father worked at Peddinghaus in Bradley while his mother was a homemaker.

It comes as no surprise that Jerry had the world by the tail right from the start. He loved cars, trucks, and bikes from an early age. During the early years he was known to build bike ramps to fly up at full throttle, and he loved playing in the sandbox with his Tonka trucks and carefully designed construction sites, race tracks, or whatever design suited the car or truck he was playing with. Jerry often told his mother, “I go play with my trucks,” although the beginning sound was usually changed to an “f” sound, which made his sentence quite memorable to say the least.

Jerry’s love for all things adventurous continued as he grew a bit older. If he wasn’t flying up hills and ramps on his bike with the neighborhood kids he was riding around in mopeds or go-karts. Organized sports were never really his thing, although he did play Little League baseball when he was seven, and he played basketball for fun. There were fun-filled games of tag while living in the trailer park, often with Jerry’s best friend, Brian Meadows. Ghosts in the Graveyard, Red Light Green Light, and Mother May I were fun neighborhood games in addition to baseball and kickball. Of course their games could get exciting at times such as when they hit a baseball through a window across the street or when Jerry hit the ball right at his sister’s face, giving her a bloody nose. Like any good brother, he popped the heads off his sister’s Barbie dolls so she couldn’t place with them anymore. As a teen Jerry got into hot rods and snowmobiling. His tender side was rooted in his childhood, too, as he had a really hard time when his albino rabbit named Bonkers died.

After graduating from Kankakee High School, Jerry was more than ready for all that life had in store for him. He worked at Levis Garage for a time and later as a maintenance supervisor at Peddinghaus in Bradley.

Life was forever changed for Jerry when he met his true love through some friends. Her name was Mandy Volpe, and they knew each other for about two years before beginning to date. It was just fifteen months later that they exchanged their vows on June 11, 2005, and enjoyed an exciting honeymoon at Disney World. Together they were blessed with the birth of their son, Logan in 2008, and their daughter, Macey in 2011. Jerry was a great father who was idolized by his son in the way he dressed, smelled, and acted. They took some memorable vacations including one to the Wisconsin Dells in April of 2012 where they visited arcades and family slides, and a second vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, this past August. While there they went to the waterpark in Dollywood, and they experienced zip-lining for the first time. Their two dogs, Popeye and Brody, were like additional members of the family as well.

Throughout his life Jerry’s love for cars and bikes remained. He always seemed to be working on his black Monte Carlo that he loved to race with. In fact, Jerry was even known as “Turbo” for trying to outrun the police! He also loved his Harley-Davidson and mudding at the badlands.

Always someone to keep busy, Jerry was a man of many interests. He was a third degree, or Master Mason, with the Chebanse Masonic Lodge, and he was also into weightlifting, getting tattoos, and cheering on the Bears and his favorite players, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs. Jerry looked forward to his annual camping trips with his friends, too. When it came to music he enjoyed classic artists like Johnny Cash and Credence Clearwater Revival, and also classic rock bands like Metallica. Jerry enjoyed reading magazines like Muscle and Fitness and Hot Rod Magazine, and watching some of his favorite television shows like Vampire Diaries and Gold Rush. Movies like The Goonies, Walking Tall, and anything with hotrods were among his favorites.

Life will never be the same without Jerry VanVleck here, but the impact he made in the lives of those around him will never fade away. He had a contagious zest for life and an unwavering love for his family. Jerry tried to give his children all he could and more, and he continually told his wife how much he loved her. A blessing given to us for such a short time, he will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

Jerry Robert VanVleck, Jr of Kankakee died on April 11, 2013. Jerry’s family includes his wife, Mandy; son, Logan; daughter, Macey all of Kankakee; parents, Jerry and Phyllis VanVleck of Kankakee; mother and father-in-law, Herb and Paula Volpe of Kankakee; sisters, Gina (Les) Wells of Orange Park, FL and Hope VanvVleck and Felix of Chicago; sisters-in-law, Brianne Volpe of Kankakee and Robin Volpe-Szaflarski of Griffith, IN; brother, Brian Meadows of Kankakee; niece, Marisa Wells of Orange Park, FL; and nephews, Jacob Wells of Orange Park, FL and Christian VanVleck of Chicago.

Preceding him in death are his sister, Phyllis Ann VanVleck; grandparents; Uncle Bob Spreitzer; brother in law, Stan Szaflarski; and cousin, Frisco Anderson. A time for family and friends to gather will be Tuesday, April 16, 2013, at the Kankakee Chapel of Schreffler Lifestory Funeral Homes from 4-8 p.m. with a Masonic service at 7 p.m. and funeral services will be held at the Kankakee Chapel of Schreffler Lifestory Funeral Homes Wed, April 17, 2013, at 11 a.m. officiated by Pastor Tyson Graber. Burial will be at Kankakee Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Aroma Township. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Jerry VanVleck fund for his children through Homestar Bank in Bradley. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory.