John Maurice De Haan was born August 19, 1945, to Morris and Catherine (Verkerk) De Haan, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. After his family emigrated to the United States, John spent most of his life in Pella, Iowa, only briefly living in California. John graduated from Pella Christian High School in 1963. He then attended Northrop Institute of Technology in Inglewood, California. After graduating with a degree in engineering, John went to work for McDonnell Douglas. It was in California that John met his first wife, Linda (Autry) and had his four children: Karen, Stephen, Vicky and Craig.

In 1973, John moved back to Pella to work for Vermeer Corporation as an engineer. It was there that he met his second wife, Karen (Tucker) DeHaan. John and Karen went on to own two motels in Knoxville, Iowa and the Lake Red Rock Marina. After retirement, John enjoyed pursuing his lifelong passions of reading and cars. John drove his beloved Corvette convertibles in many Tulip Time parades in Pella. One of his favorite memories was driving an Indy Car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He enjoyed sharing the video of this experience with many visitors. John passed away at his home in Pella, Iowa on December 20, 2024. John loved animals, and at the time of his passing had a dog, Casey, and cat, Snowball.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Karen (Tucker) DeHaan and his children and grandchildren:

Karen De Haan-Fullerton (Mark)

Jonathan

Steve De Haan

Bianca

Steve Jr.

Saiden

Vicky Payne

Craig De Haan (Mindy)

Zachery

He is also survived by his siblings:

Sam "Sander" De Haan of Pella, Iowa

Jake (Thereasa) De Haan of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tena (Ken) Eekhoff of Pella, Iowa

Hubert De Haan of Louisville, Kentucky

Maury (Linda) De Haan of Pella, Iowa

John was preceded in death by his parents Morris and Catherine De Haan and his first wife.

First Baptist Church
Pella IA

Suncrest Hospice
Web: https://www.suncrestcare.com/