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Donald Vellekamp

Don‌ ‌is‌ ‌survived‌ ‌by‌ ‌his‌ ‌loving‌ ‌wife‌ ‌of‌ ‌sixteen‌ ‌years,‌ ‌Carol‌ ‌Conger‌ ‌Vellekamp,‌ ‌her‌ ‌daughters‌ ‌and‌ ‌grandchildren.‌ ‌Don‌ ‌leaves‌ ‌behind‌ ‌an‌ ‌amazing‌ ‌legacy‌ ‌as‌ ‌he‌ ‌is‌ ‌survived‌ ‌by‌ ‌his‌ ‌seven‌ ‌beloved‌ ‌children,‌ ‌Lori (Ryan),‌ ‌Donna,‌ ‌Karen,‌ ‌Kathy ‌(Myers),‌ ‌Debbie (Dullaghan),‌ ‌Joe‌ ‌and‌ ‌Jim,‌ ‌his‌ ‌adoring‌ ‌grandchildren;‌ ‌Eric,‌ ‌Brendan, Collin,‌ ‌Kayla,‌ ‌Lily‌ ‌and‌ ‌Emma and‌ ‌a‌ ‌great‌ ‌grandson,‌ ‌Trenton.‌ ‌He‌ ‌also‌ ‌leaves‌ ‌behind‌ ‌his‌ ‌loving‌ ‌sister‌ ‌Ariel‌ ‌Goin‌ ‌and‌ ‌his‌ ‌most‌ ‌beloved‌ ‌pup,‌ ‌Max.‌ ‌He‌ ‌is‌ ‌preceded‌ ‌in‌ ‌death‌ ‌by‌ ‌his‌ ‌sisters,‌ ‌Del‌ ‌Vellekamp‌ ‌Koster‌ ‌and‌ ‌Joan‌ ‌Vellekamp‌ ‌Gennaro.‌ ‌

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Don‌ ‌lived‌ ‌a‌ ‌full‌ ‌and‌ ‌joyous‌ ‌life.‌ ‌He‌ ‌was‌ ‌an‌ ‌active‌ ‌member‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌First‌ ‌Presbyterian‌ ‌Church‌ ‌of‌ ‌New‌ ‌Vernon‌ ‌and‌ ‌ran‌ ‌the‌ ‌church’s‌ ‌historic‌ ‌restoration‌ ‌project.‌ ‌He‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌wonderful‌ ‌storyteller‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌great‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌ ‌humor.‌ ‌He‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌talented‌ ‌artist,‌ ‌woodworking‌ ‌enthusiast‌ ‌and‌ ‌avid‌ ‌gardener.‌ ‌

He‌ ‌and‌ ‌Carol‌ ‌loved‌ ‌to‌ ‌travel‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌and‌ ‌had‌ ‌many‌ ‌exciting‌ ‌adventures‌ ‌together.‌ ‌He‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌greatly‌ ‌missed‌ ‌by‌ ‌his‌ ‌many‌ ‌friends‌ ‌and‌ ‌loved‌ ‌ones.‌ ‌

Donald‌ ‌Vellekamp, 88,‌ ‌of‌ ‌New‌ ‌Vernon,‌ ‌NJ‌ ‌passed‌ ‌away‌ ‌on‌ ‌October‌ ‌26th,‌ ‌2021.‌ ‌He‌ ‌was‌ ‌born‌ ‌on‌ ‌July‌ ‌3,1933‌ ‌in‌ ‌Lake‌ ‌Eloise,‌ ‌Florida and grew up in Bergen County, NJ.‌ ‌

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He‌ ‌proudly‌ ‌served‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌US‌ ‌Navy‌ ‌where‌ ‌he‌ ‌served‌ ‌in‌ ‌both‌ ‌Alaska‌ ‌and‌ ‌Morocco‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌tech‌ ‌field‌ ‌of‌ ‌surveillance.‌ ‌After‌ ‌his‌ ‌honorable‌ ‌discharge,‌ ‌he‌ ‌began‌ ‌a‌ ‌career‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌tech repair ‌industry.‌ ‌He‌ ‌later‌ ‌became‌ ‌a‌ ‌business‌ ‌entrepreneur‌ ‌when‌ ‌he‌ ‌started‌ ‌several‌ ‌business‌;‌ ‌Jiffy‌ ‌Prints,‌ ‌Creative‌ ‌Marketing‌ ‌and‌ ‌Molly’s‌ ‌General‌ ‌Store.‌ ‌‌He‌ ‌then‌ ‌spent‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌a‌ ‌decade‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌sales‌ ‌field‌ ‌before‌ ‌retiring.‌ 

A service celebrating Donald's life will be held on

Saturday, November 13th at 11:00 am

at The First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon

The service can also be viewed online on our YouTube channel

 

Guests are invited to a luncheon
immediately following the service in Fellowship Hall

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to

The Capital Improvement Fund

of the First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon

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