Obituary of Jacob Van Der Eems

Jacob “Jake” Van Der Eems, age 88, of Wyckoff, passed away on Wednesday, January 11, 2017. Born in Hawthorne to Dutch immigrants, he was a lifelong resident of the local area. He and wife Milvi moved their family to Wyckoff 56 years ago. Committed to his community, Jake was an active member of Wyckoff’s Board of Health, Planning Board and Township Committee. He served as Mayor of Wyckoff 3 times. He was honored as the Wyckoff YMCA’s 1991 Man of the Year and was affectionately known to many as Mr. Wyckoff. He took great pride and joy in serving as a trustee for the historic Zabriskie House. Besides his community service he was known around town for his penchant for collecting and riding, antique bicycles. Jake was a member of the Wyckoff Rotary Club, Wyckoff Republican League and County Committee. He served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He was also a long time member of the Hawthorne Gospel Church. He owned and operated Vandereems Manufacturing, an industrial woodworking firm in Hawthorne, a family business started by his father in 1933 and now operated by his son, John. Jake is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Milvi, and their 3 children, Sandy, John and Heidi. He was a beloved grandfather to Johnny, Jeffrey and Erika and trusted older brother to Dolly, Martha, Mona and John. The family will receive friends on Monday, January 16th from 3-7pm at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave. Wyckoff, NJ. A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, January 17th at 10am at Hawthorne Gospel Church, 2000 Route 208, Hawthorne, NJ 07506. Interment to follow at Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery, 22-21 Maple Avenue, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jacob’s memory can be made to the Hawthorne Gospel Church