Anthony Bernard Vander Heyden

Anthony died March 4, 2025 at his home in rural Schertz, Texas at the age of 77 years, 8 months.

Anthony was born on 28 June 1947 in Boxtel, No. Brabant, Netherlands, the sixth child of nine born to Nicholas Vander Heyden and Gijsbertha, (Bertha) Van de Ven. With the deep depression after WWll, the couple applied to come to America. They were sponsored and arrived in New Jersey in 1949, then traveled on to Wisconsin by train. Seven years later they bought a dairy farm near Lake Winnebago. Anthony received a grade school education at Sacred Heart School in Sherwood, Wisconsin, attended St. Lawrence Catholic Seminary two years, and graduated high school from St.Marys High School, Menasha, Wisconsin in 1965. A year later, he enlisted in the Air Force and began his career.

Following basic training, he was assigned to Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana where he began college part time and took private flying lessons at the base club. With more instruction he would continue flying privately for the next twenty years, becoming a private pilot and single & multiengine instrument-rated instructor. He would meet the love of his life, Susan Joy, in Glacier National Park in 1967. They were engaged in 1969 and married in July of 1970 at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Kalispell, Montana. He flew them back to his station at McCoy AFB, near Orlando, Florida. He and Susan had many assignments, moving thirteen times in twenty-two years. They felt each move was an adventure and an opportunity for new friends and new experiences.

After ten years, Master Sargent Vander Heyden graduated from the University of Nebraska and was awarded a commission and left for Officer Training. Upon his return, the couple moved to Biloxi, Mississippi where their beloved son, Anthony Robert, was born. In the next year he received a BS in Computer Science with focus on network engineering from Central State University, Oklahoma. During their time in Oklahoma, Susan graduated from OU Nursing School as an R.N. when they were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Anna Marie. Their last move to Randolph Air Force base led to many advances in Anthony's career while working at the Directorate of Personnel Data Systems. In July of 1988 he was selected for promotion to Major.

After much soul searching, he retired as a Captain with twenty-two years of service. Anthony then worked for several corporations including IBM and Martin Marietta. He began his own company, Calumet Computers, Inc. and ran it successfully for sixteen years. In retirement he gardened, read extensively, volunteered in the Schertz area, and served his church community. He loved his family, nurtured his children and grandchildren and helped care for his mother in law for twenty years. He was a loving, faithful husband to his wife Susan, of almost 55 years. Anthony is survived by his wife, Susan (Joy) Vander Heyden; son Anthony; daughter Anna Marie (K. Shaun Wamer) and two grandchildren, Zoe and Peyton. He is also survived by siblings Christine (Michael Kees, Sr.), Maria (Dave Reuter), William (Bill) Vander Heyden (Linda), Ida Simpson, Terry Stallone, Dr. John L. Vander Heyden, Paul M. Vander Heyden (Margene) and many loved nieces, nephews and their families. Two brothers-in-law pre-deceased him. An older brother, John, died as a child in the Netherlands. Numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins still survive in the United States and the Netherlands. A memorial service will be held at Schertz Funeral Home April 12", with reception at 2pm and service at 3pm. CMSgt, Air Force retired, Rod Ellison, minister of the U.C. Church of Christ will lead us. There will be an Air Force salute. A live stream video of the service will be made available online.