James P. Van Etten of Pompton Plains, formerly of Nutley, NJ and Hemlock Farms, PA, passed away peacefully at his home on July 17 surrounded by his loving family. He was 93.
Jim was born in Perry, New York, the youngest of three boys. The family moved to Seneca Falls, New York, where he attended school. He became the valedictorian of Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls before attending the U. S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where he was the valedictorian of the class of 1944. This class graduated in 1943 under an accelerated program developed to assist in the war effort.
Following graduation, Jim spent 14 years on active duty in the Coast Guard as well as a number of years in the reserves. During the World War II, Jim was assigned to the Eastwind which patrolled in the north Atlantic. In 1946 and 1947 he was assigned to serve on the Northwind, which participated in Antarctic Operation Highjump with Admiral Richard Byrd. He was also stationed In Staten Island, NY, Cape May, NJ, Atlantic Beach, NC and Washington, DC. He retired from the Coast Guard with the rank of Commander.
While in the Coast Guard, in 1948 and 1949 he earned an advanced degree at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1958 he entered the private sector and worked for International Telephone and Telegraph in Nutley, New Jersey doing application development for the aerospace industry. He remained at ITT Avionics until his retirement in 1984. During this time he worked on a number of significant products for military use, including LORAN (long range navigation technology).
A leader on LORAN technology, Jim was a founding member of the Wild Goose Association, a professional organization of individuals and organizations having an interest in LORAN. Its members included engineers and scientists from industry, the government and user community. LORAN was the mainstay of military and civilian navigation until recent years.
In a life of amazing achievement, perhaps Jim’s greatest was his role as father to seven. He set very high standards for his children and each achieved to their ability, assisting each other all the way. His life was marked by a selfless devotion to all his children with their particular gifts, abilities and needs. He delighted in their accomplishments and was a proud grandfather of 23 and saw the unique gifts present in each.
During his life he experienced extraordinary loss with the death of his wife, Grace, and three sons, Paul Bill and John, within a 4 year period, and yet he continued to live his life with exceptional faith and strength even after suffering a stroke himself.
Remarkable for his enduring strength, fidelity, and love, Jim lived out his years as a lifelong role model and moral compass for all his family. Many people show us what not to be. Jim Van Etten showed us always how to be, and do.
We end this memorial not with a tear but with a toast to the one who, even in death, continues to teach us what it means to be a man, a father, an American and a servant of God, exemplifying the very best of each.
The beloved husband of the late Mary Grace (Lavelle) and father of the late, William, John & Paul Van Etten, Jim is survived by his sons, James & his wife Jane, Stephen & wife Janice; his daughters, Mary Grace & her partner, Lisa Di Besceglie, Joan Sattler & her husband, Paul, and daughters-in-law Loretta Van Etten and Bette Ann Rebenack. He leaves 23 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, and his devoted caretaker, Regina Musteikiene.
The funeral will be Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. from the S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home.
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Church in Nutley 9:30 a.m.
The interment will follow at Cathedral Cemetery in Scranton, PA.
Visitors will be received at the funeral home on Monday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Opportunity Center At Fairlawn, 13-19 Fair Lawn Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 or the American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20852 would be preferred.

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