Ronald VanderBeek

Ronald VanderBeek, 80, passed away in his home on July 22, 2026, due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

He was born July 27, 1945, in The Hague, Netherlands, to Simone Meesters and Andries van der Beek. When he was five, his parents boarded a boat with Ronald and his older brother, Robert, and they left the war-torn Hague for the potato fields of Shelley, Idaho.

Ron spent his youth learning how to be a perfect all-American rascal, making guns out of blasting caps and bicycle spokes, running around until dark, playing in the school band, working at Woolworth’s, and becoming an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1964 and started his education at BYU. He then returned to The Netherlands as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints only to discover that he spoke his native language with a terrible accent. After two and a half years, he finished his mission by buying a nice camera at the airport on his way home, a purchase which sparked his lifelong love of photography. He returned to BYU, and in 1968, married Helen LaRae Frei.

While supporting a young family, Ronald graduated in electrical engineering and got a job in Arco, Idaho, at the National Reactor Testing Station, now the INL. Ron and Helen had three children and later divorced. In 1994, Ron married Lani Lynn Ritter and became a father to her three children, whom he later adopted. He retired from the site after a distinguished 35-year career in 2007, by which time he was already battling the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

Ron spent his retirement years growing tulips, telling dad jokes, doing “projects,” and spending time with his children and grandchildren. There was nothing he couldn’t build or fix, and his meticulous ways earned him both the ribbing and admiration of his family. He was a lifelong, faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he leaves behind a legacy of faith and service. In his last weeks, he was still dispensing expert engineering advice, gospel trivia, and stroopwafels to all who came to visit.

Ron is survived by his children, Simone Brook, Margo (Roy) Gunnarsson, David (Aimee) VanderBeek, Sandi (Nathan) Rowe, Sarah (Bob) Houghton, and Steven (Tori) VanderBeek; 23 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Robert, and his granddaughter, Annalee Rowe.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026, at Wood Funeral Home East Side, 963 S. Ammon Road, with a viewing from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Services will be broadcast live at www.woodfuneralhome.com. Interment will be in the Ammon Cemetery.

Special thanks to Nuclear Care Partners, who lovingly cared for Ron for over four years. They enabled him to stay in his home, and made those years so much better than they would otherwise have been. Special thanks to Symbii Hospice, who made sure he was pain-free in his last days.