Rev. Dr. Vernon Bernard Van Bruggen

The Rev. Dr. Vernon B. Van Bruggen passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Durham, NC. Memorial Services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in the chapel at Croasdaile Village, Durham, NC.

Dr. Van Bruggen was born on November 24, 1935, in a farmhouse near Montpelier, North Dakota as the second of the six children of Henry Van Bruggen and Hattie Lucilla Ten Clay. He graduated from Svea Consolidated High School in 1952. He was encouraged by his parents to attend college, but he needed to pay his own education costs. Thus, he developed a broad experience of life through many full and part-time jobs. He attended Northwestern Junior College in Orange City, Iowa for one semester then transferred to Jamestown College in Jamestown, North Dakota. After his junior year, he left school for employment with the North Dakota State Highway Department in order to pay off college bills. In 1958, he enrolled at Valley City State College in Valley City, North Dakota to finish his college degree.

Dr. Van Bruggen married Mary Louise Cann of Butte, Montana on June 27, 1959, and enrolled in Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan that fall. From April 1960 to April 1963, he proudly served in the United States Army National Guard. He graduated from Seminary in May of 1962 and was ordained to the ministry on June 25, 1962, at the Harlem Reformed Church near Holland, Michigan. He served several Presbyterian churches in North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio until 1978 when he was called to become the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of New Brunswick in central New Jersey, a position he held until January of 1999. He received his doctoral degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois in June of 1981.

Dr. and Mrs. Van Bruggen retired to Carolina Trace near Sanford, North Carolina in 1999 and lived there until moving to Croasdaile Village in Durham, North Carolina in 2011. Mr. and Mrs. Van Bruggen have three children: Virginia L. Kroener (Christian) of Beaufort, NC, Mark B. Van Bruggen (Lisa Mount) of New Egypt, NJ, and Linda M. Parrish (Johnnie) of Bailey, NC. The Van Bruggen grandchildren are Christopher Berner (Kaitlin Beall), Nina Vidito (Joshua), Emily Grala (Alex), Krista Machat (Greg), Kristen Parrish, Brianna Gantt, and Austin Parrish (Erica Cawhern). The Van Bruggen great-grandchildren are Liam Berner, Timothy Jones, Karaleigh Grala, and Meredith Parrish.

Dr. Van Bruggen is survived by his loving and special wife of 64 years and by all his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers: Eldwyn (Bonnie) of Valley City, ND, Robert (Joyce) of Louisville, KY and his sister Harriet Chaloux of Cleveland, OH. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Garris and sister, Gladys.

A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 8, 2023, at the Chapel at Croasdaile Village. Officiating will be Laurie Hays Coffman. Inurnment will be in the Columbarium at Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church in Durham.

Arrangements are being made by Hall-Wynne Funeral Service of Durham.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to the Croasdaile Benevolence Fund of United Methodist Retirement Homes (Croasdaile Village; 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy; Durham, NC 27705; croasdailevillage.org/foundation) or the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (1924 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604; https://foodbankcenc.org/)