Family and friends are remembering Alden Van Campen, and sharing this with the community:

Longtime West Seattle resident Alden John Van Campen Jr. passed away June 18th in Stanwood, Washington.

He was born in Seattle on 3/30/1930 to Alden Van Campen and Lillian Whitmarsh Van Campen. He spent his early years in the Ravenna, Richmond Beach, and Queen Anne neighborhoods. He attended John Hay Elementary School and graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1948. He served in the USAF from 1950-1954 and was stationed in Japan and Guam during the Korean War. Upon his discharge from the Air Force, he began employment with Boeing, where he worked until his retirement in 1990.

He married Virginia Ann ‘Gini’ Larson in 1955 and moved to West Seattle, where he lived until 2023. Alden and Gini were blessed with four children and spent many happy years at the family cabin on Vashon. Alden was a self-described “Car Nut” and had and restored several classic cars throughout the years and was very active in attending the various car shows in western Washington. He also was an active motorcyclist, selling his last bike under family pressure when he was 83, he later tried a fast one, buying a moped when he was 88 to go to the cabin, until pressure from family made him return it. After his wife Gini passed away in 1991, he led a very active life traveling the world, building what his family described as a house around a garage where he kept his show cars, motorcycle, and however many other vehicles he had, never less than two more, wintering in Palm Springs and later, Arizona, spending lots of time at Vashon, and dancing at the White Center Eagles every Friday night.

After being diagnosed with Dementia in 2020, he had to make the toughest decision of his life and give up his beloved cars and move into the first of three assisted living facilities where, ever the ladies man, he never was without female companionship, he never lost his wit, and when asked if he had a new lady friend at the last place, said, “Well, you know Jack, I never plan it, these things just kind of happen.”

Alden was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Donald, his sister Mary, his daughter Kristi, and his wife Gini. He is survived by his children, John (Jack) (Jodi), Cyndi (Rob) Sparrow, Kurt (Ariel); grandchildren Amy Taylor, Jacob Sparrow, Kyle Sparrow, Kailey Gardin, Dylan Van Campen, and Matthew Van Campen; great-grandchildren Hunter, Riser, Dominic, Damian, McKenna, Cambri, Ember, Milo, Elena, and Emilia.

There will be no services at his request.

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