Richard Lee Van Amerongen, 76, died August 17, 2022, at Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.
Richard was born on February 9, 1946, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa to Clarence and Marilyn (Buster) Van Amerongen. On December 7, 1969, he married Karen Jo Byram in Honolulu, Hawaii. Richard served in the submarine division of the U.S. Navy from 1964-1970 and spent a lot of time at sea on the USS Queenfish. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1977.
As a teenager, Richard gave his life over to the Lord. Life was not without struggle, but God gave him the strength to not only endure, but to show kindness, gentleness, and humility. He attended Harmony Bible Church. Richard opened a dental practice in 1977 in downtown Burlington. He joyfully served his patients for 32 years before he retired. He was a lifelong Hawkeye fan. As a sailor, he taught himself to play guitar and continued to play throughout his life, focusing on Christian and jazz music. During retirement, he began hand cycling and was often seen riding through Burlington, most notably flying down the Main Street hill as fast as he could, and stopping often to chat with friends.
Richard is survived by his wife of 52 years, Karen; daughter, Sarah (Cody) Wolfe of Sperry; three grandchildren, Tinley, Aubrey, and Cooper; and two brothers, Bob Van Amerongen of West Burlington and Ken (Jolene) Van Amerongen of Loveland, Co.; and one aunt, Carolyn (Dave) Thompson of Grandview, Ia.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Prugh Crematory.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, September 1, at Prugh~Thielen Funeral Home.
The memorial service for Dr. Van Amerongen will be 3 p.m. Thursday, September 1, 2022, at Prugh~Thielen Funeral Home with Pastor Nathan Williams officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for Harmony Bible Church and Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice.