Benjamin Don Van Zandt

January 15, 1922 November 23, 2021

Benjamin Van Zandt passed away peacefully on November 23, 2021 at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, California. He was preceded in death by his wife of 74 years, Alice, his parents Alta and Don, his brother-in-law and sister-inlaw Frank and Rachel Burtschell, nephew-in-law Bob Burtschell and mother-inlaw Pearl Frevert and fatherin-law Gustav Frevert. He leaves behind children Marty Van Zandt and his partner Veva Stone, Carol Johns and husband Jerry, and Bonnie Mercer and husband Dave, grandchildren Matthew Van Zandt and wife Orlana, Charlie Mercer and wife Melissa, Don Johns, Todd Van Zandt and wife Kelly, Heidi Hendricks and husband Ryan, Jason Mercer and wife Lori and Ben Johns. He also leaves behind 11 great grandchildren. Ben was born January 15, 1922 to Alta and Don Van Zandt at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka, California. He grew up near Philo, California attending elementary and high school near Boonville, California. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College (where he met his later to be wife, Alice) and the University of California, Berkeley until 1942 when he enlisted in the Navy. In the Navy he enlisted to be an officer and underwent flight training to become an aviator. He was just finishing that training when in May of 1945 the allies claimed victory in Europe and Ensign Van Zandt was declared a surplus aviator candidate and assigned to the Saidor, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific where he served until he was separated from active duty in March of 1946. He stayed in the reserves until 1965 when he achieved a full retirement as a Lt. Commander after 20 years of Naval Service. After discharge from active duty he then went on to complete his studies, graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1949. He and Alice were married in Ithaca, New York on April 6, 1945. She had traveled by train from San Francisco to Ithaca where the Navy was training Ben at Cornell University. She followed him on his Navy travels through St. Simons Island, Georgia to San Diego, California until he was discharged. When he reentered studies at UC Berkeley, she did secretarial work in San Francisco, he did civil engineering work for Contra Costa County and they lived in Albany, California. They had three children, Marty (1947), Carol (1950) and Bonnie (1954). In 1949 they moved to Eureka, California. Ben worked for the California Division of Highways (later Caltrans) from 1949 to 1981, a 33 year career which saw him design and build many highway projects in the Northwest part of California. After retirement he did consulting work for Winzler and Kelly and storm damage assessments for FEMA and Mendocino County for a few years. He truly enjoyed life. He was a golfer, deer and duck hunter, boater, poker player, water skier, fisherman, boat builder and loved working and playing on the ancestral home lands in Philo, California. He was a member of the Eureka Elks Lodge until moving to Sacramento in 2014, a member of their poker group and a member of the Eureka Branch of the Military Aviators Association. He will be missed by many and remembered fondly by family and friends. Rest in Peace Dad.