In memoriam: Larry Roosendaal, 1965 - 2010
Western Washington University employee Larry Gerrit Roosendaal passed away in his home on Saturday, June 12, 2010, surrounded by family and friends, after a three-month battle with cancer.
Roosendaal had been working in the Technical Maintenance shop in Facilities Management for the past year and a half.
He was born on June 21, 1965, to Alvin (Squeek) and Sandy Roosendaal.
He attended Lynden High School, where he is remembered for playing football and basketball. After attending Skagit Community College and earning a degree in electronic technology, he moved back to Lynden and worked for Beckley Electric for the next 14 years.
Larry married Terri Duim in 1992 and had two girls, Katie, now age 16, and Maggie, age 13. He went into partnership with Signal Logic for six years before landing at WWU.
"Larry had superb technical skills as well as a fantastic work ethic," said Migo Biciunas, Roosendaal's manager in Facilities Management. "He had a sunny disposition, which made him a favorite co-worker in TM. Larry had a wonderful positive impact on our organization. It seems like he was with us much longer than a year and a half before he was taken from us."
According to an obituary posted in The Bellingham Herald, Roosendaal's hobbies and joys were motorcycle riding with friends for the past 19 years and taking his girls out for day rides. He enjoyed taking the family camping with friends, car shows, and, most of all, his girls and all their activities, such as volleyball, basketball and soccer.
Larry will be greatly missed by his wife, Terri; daughters Katie and Maggie; parents Alvin and Sandy Roosendaal; sister Nancy Longstreth and fiancé Dylan Kapan; nieces Amy and Abby; brother-in-law Dave Longstreth; aunts Sally Schirmann and Sue Schirmann; and uncle Stue Schirmann; and on Terri's side of the family, mother and father-in-law Bob and Vicki Duim; aunt Tam (Galen) Koetje; uncles Rick (Ruth) Biesheuvel, Scott (Debbie) Biesheuvel, Mitch Biesheuvel, Brett (Pam) Biesheuvel, Rich (Yvonne) Biesheuvel; numerous cousins; extended family members; and an abundance of friends.
A memorial service will be held in Larry's honor at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at North County Christ the King Community Church, 1835 Liberty St., Lynden.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Larry Roosendaal Family College Fund at any People's Bank or made in Larry's name to Whatcom Hospice, 800 E. Chestnut, Suite 1A, Bellingham, WA 98225.
"All of us sensed a very strong bond and kinship with Larry," Biciunas said. "We will miss Larry's efficient and practical workmanship in the shop, but we will mostly miss his easy laugh and big soul."