Todd Van Kooten

Todd Van Kooten, 57, of Saint Charles, passed away at home on May 17, 2022 after a 4 year long battle with cancer. Memorial services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 21, 2022 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, Winterset Chapel. Family will greet friends two hours prior, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Casual attire is encouraged. Memorials may be made to the family for later designation. Todd Anthony Van Kooten was born January 25, 1965, in Winterset, Iowa, the son of Hank and Sherryl (Bruett) Van Kooten. Todd grew up in Winterset and attended Winterset Community Schools, where he was a three season athlete – football, wrestling, and baseball. He attended college at University of Northern Iowa, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In college, Todd was acclaimed for his work in holography, being the first person at UNI to use holography as an art form. In 1993, Todd met the girl who would later become his wife, Tracy Tyer. In 2000, they purchased 20 acres of timber in southeastern Madison County, where they enjoyed hiking with their dogs, hunting mushrooms, riding 4-wheelers, having bonfires and camping. They married in 2002 at the Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida (Todd enjoyed pointing out that he got married in the Bermuda Triangle). In 2005, they became the proud parents of Joseph Van Kooten, who has been the light of their lives and made their family complete. Todd was employed primarily in the Winterset area, working in HVAC for Madison County Plumbing and Heating and Bill Jensen Heating and Cooling, later working for Winterset Monuments as a stone setter. In 2020, Todd supported Tracy in starting a laser cutting business, Backwoods Laser LLC. His experience and confidence with lasers and tools was invaluable in getting the business off the ground, and the loss of his boundless creativity will forever be felt. Todd enjoyed a simple life. He loved camping, fishing and socializing with his many friends. He firmly believed in self-reliance and being prepared, and he would always rather fix something himself than pay someone else to do it (while jokingly reminding Tracy how much money he was saving her). He enjoyed traveling and was fortunate to recently cross two trips off his bucket list with his wife and son – a week on a houseboat in Tennessee, and snorkeling in the Florida Keys. He was a lifelong learner and a collector of eclectic and unconventional knowledge. He was always ready with a helping hand to anyone who needed it, and was well known for his sense of humor. He endured his illness with unending fortitude and always had a smile and a funny quip for the nurses, even on his worst days. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hank and Sherryl (Bruett) Van Kooten and siblings, Dean Van Kooten and Linda Sue Van Kooten (infant). He is survived by his wife, Tracy, his son, Joseph, and his sister, Tonja (Bill) Porter and her family.