Ida Van Dalen

Ida J. Van Dalen, age 89, of Wayne for 62 years, passed Monday, June 16, 2025.

She was born in Passaic to Chris and Anna Van Der Stad. Ida has lived in Passaic, Newfoundland, Totowa, Prospect Park, and Wayne. In 1964 they moved to Wayne in a house that her husband Jake built with the help of family and friends. Prior to her marriage Ida worked for the Travelers Insurance Company, Paterson in their claims department.

Ida’s future husband Jake was serving in the U.S. Army and when he was able to come home on temporary leave from the military, his sister Elizabeth invited her good friend Ida Van Der Stad to go for a ride with her and Jake. They drove into New York City and one of Ida’s distinct memories was that Jake, who was driving, ran through every red traffic light that they encountered. In today’s day and age, such driving behavior might land you in jail but this was the 1950’s when there weren’t nearly the number of cars on the road that we see today. That night was the beginning of a loving and devoted relationship that ultimately led to Jake and Ida’s marriage with a ceremony taking place on Friday, June 1, 1956 at the Netherland Reformed Church in Passaic. After the wedding ceremony and reception, Jake and Ida set off on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls on the Canadian Side where they visited the famous Lover’s Lane and Holland, Michigan. Thus was the start of many trips they would take together and with their family exploring the United States and Canada as well as Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Ida was a warm, social woman whose zest for life was matched only by her deep love for family and community. She was a lifelong traveler and camper. She gradually upgraded from an umbrella tent, to a tent trailer, to various other trailers, and then finally a 30-foot travel trailer, embracing adventure at every stage. She cherished the many family trips (more than 20 trips) to P.E.I.(Prince Edward Island), Canada, where memories were made along the red roads & cliffs. They visited many lighthouses, especially their favorite Panmure Island, which they loved viewing from their camp site. They enjoyed driving around the island and exploring many of their favorite spots along the shores. There were also several trips to the western part of the United States and Canada to see the beauty of God’s creation. They went for the first time in 1959 as a couple and then in 1976, 1978, 1981 (for their 25th anniversary) with their children and finally in 1989 with their new son-in-law. In addition, each year for twenty-one years, in August, they held a family reunion at a campground in Lancaster, PA amongst the corn fields. A true conversationalist, Ida thrived in the company of others—always engaging with loved ones, neighbors, and friends with a genuine interest and warmth. She found joy in the simple, grounding pleasures of life: sewing which later developed into a love of quilting. She also enjoyed reading, thus when the Netherlands Reformed Christian School library was looking for volunteers she thought this would be a way to help students to explore the world through reading. She was a dedicated volunteer here for  thirty-five years  and eventually became the head librarian. She reluctantly retired in 2020 because of COVID. Ida also had a love of flowers, especially gladiolus, which her husband would plant for her each year, but in return she had to clean and cook the abundant harvest. Both her and her husband enjoyed watching wildlife—especially birds who came to their feeders, and deer if they were not eating in their garden. Another way she served her family and friends was  baking delicious desserts and cookies. She would complain that she was tired, but then she could be found baking cookies in the kitchen. Whether nurturing plants, stitching quilts, or sharing stories around the kitchen table, Ida lived each day with warmth, purpose, and grace. Ida was a long standing member of the Netherlands Reformed Church in Clifton.

Ida was the loving wife of sixty-four years to Jacob G. Van Dalen (d. 2021); loving mother of Ruth Ann and her husband John Bosch of Wayne, their children: Rebecca, Chris-John and his wife Jana; three sons: Jacob Jr. and his wife Laura Van Dalen of Wallkill, NY, their children: Kaitlyn, Jacob III, Kristina; Jan  and his wife Lori Van Dalen of Easton, MD, his children: Michael and his wife Lacey and their children (Joseph, Caroline, and Samuel), Daniel, Rachel, and Jonathan and his wife Shirley Van Dalen of Grand Rapids, MI, their children: Nathaniel, Colleen, Melanie, and Meghan; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was the beloved sister of Len Van Der Stad and his wife Alyce of Wayne, Dave Van Der Stad and his wife Lois of Wayne, and the late Cornelius “Neil” Van Der Stad and his surviving wife Grace of North Haledon.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Netherlands Reformed Christian School Library, 164 Jacksonville Road, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 would be greatly appreciated.