Longtime Resident Van Tassel Dies at 92

Everett Hale Van Tassel was born on December 5, 1921, in Kasson, Minnesota and graduated from Amboy high school where he was active in sports and lettered in basketball. After graduation, he drove west to job search. He landed in West Hollywood and worked in different machine shops. The rest of his family joined him and he lived with his parents, sharing a room with his Grandma. His brother's family shared their duplex.

He lived in Culver City since 1959.

Everett enlisted in the United States Army, attended Aircraft Ammunition Service School, and then sailed by ship, avoiding enemy submarines, as a Munitions Worker to North Africa and Europe. The bulk of his service took place in Italy and he was even blessed by the Pope! He was in Rome when the war ended and returned by ship to New York City and hitchhiked home across the country in order to save the discharge payment he received!

Everett attended First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood for over 60 years. He took voice lessons and this gave him the opportunity to sing solos, duets, mixed quartets and in choirs at church. A highlight was singing at the Hollywood Bowl in Billy Graham's Crusader Choir.

He met Esther Funk in the Ambassador Sunday School Class and this turned out to be convenient because they lived on the same street in West Hollywood. They married on March 28, 1959 and celebrated their 55th anniversary in March. Their only daughter, Kathy, was born in 1960 and only granddaughter, Rachel, in 1993. Everett and Esther also enjoyed hosting four girls as foster parents during the 1970's.

He worked for Aeroquip in the Tool and Dye Department where he made templates for the aerospace industry for over 30 years. He played sand lot baseball on weekends, until he broke his ankle, was on a bowling team at work and won trophies, cuff links AND a carving set still used for holiday turkeys.

Everett was always making something from new or from scrap material he found in his workshop. The Christmas Star hanging in front of his garage was one of his major projects. In recent years, he had completed reading through the Bible and you could always find him busy with a Word Search or watching baseball and basketball on television! He passed away, at home, on August 5, 2014.

Everett is survived by his wife, Esther, daughter Kathy Dunlop, son-in-law Dave Dunlop, and granddaughter, Rachel Dunlop, Brother Stuart Van Tassel, sister-in-law Maxine Van Tassel and many nieces and nephews.

Services were held on August 13th at Gates Kingsley & Gates Smith Salsbury, with Committal and Internment following at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

A special thanks to the Culver City Fire Department for their support during recent months so that Everett was able to realize his wish of staying in his home.