Celebrating a Christian Life: Bob Vanderpol
“…be reconciled to God.” - Doctor Bob Vanderpol
Veterinary, Missionary, brother.
He was a fixture in the church; most can’t remember a time when “Doctor Bob” wasn’t there, greeting each arrival in the lobby before service, inviting them to lunch afterward. He had a seat at Denny’s in Lynnwood with his name on it. His fellow seniors were always happy to see him, the kids felt welcome too, and everyone inbetween. Bob had both veterinary and missionary stories to share (and eye-rolling jokes to go with them). He would ALSO remind you that he shared a name with Doctor Bob on The Muppet Show.
Dr. Robert Paul VanderPol went to be with his heavenly father on Sunday August 24th, 2025, ending his 85-year long journey peacefully while attending Sunday service at Refuge Church. Dr. Bob touched a lot of lives over the years and will be missed by many. Whether you knew Bob or not, you’re welcome to watch this celebration of his life and proclamation of the gospel, using Doctor Bob’s favorite scriptures. For Christians, memorials are bittersweet, lamenting loss but also celebrating with confident hope for the day we see these saints again.
Obituary Reading
Bob was born to Elsie Mae and John VanderPol on April 2nd, 1940 in Oak Harbor Washington. He was the third child born in the family, preceded by his older sisters Bernice and Evelyn, and followed by his brother John and sister Jean. The family moved from Oak Harbor to Seattle and Dr. Bob graduated from Kings Garden High School before moving on to study veterinary medicine at Washington State University and The University of Minnesota.
Dr. Bob married his first wife Phalice while attending WSU and after graduating they started a family in Minnesota with the birth of their eldest, Robert Paul II, and adopting Aaron, Emily, and Jason. Dr. Bob and Phalice took the family to south America for several years to serve as missionaries in Colombia, adopting daughter Ana while there. Upon returning from the mission field Dr. Bob and family settled in Washington again and Dr. Bob lived in Washington until his passing. Dr. Bob married his second wife Peggy in Washington and helped raise her two boys Nick and Michael.
Dr. Bob was a loyal church member and family man, practiced veterinary medicine, enjoyed being an auctioneer on the side, and was known to perform amateur magic tricks for his grandchildren. He will be greatly missed and forever remembered.
Dr. Bob is survived by his sisters Bernice Coleman and Jean Loven, brother John VanderPol, his sons Robert, Aaron, and Jason, daughter Ana and stepsons Nick and Michael, as well as seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father John and mother Elsie, his daughter Emily, his granddaughter Sandrina, grandson Seth, and first wife Phalice. Evelyn Creighton, his older sister, joined him in heaven on Sunday September 7th.
Transcript of Message:
Dr. Bob Vanderpol looked to the Word of God, to the holy scriptures, as his compass. He looked to the God of the Bible for his identity, for his meaning, and for his life’s ministry, as well as his understanding of life and of death; of his time here and his immortal soul. No man follows this compass perfectly, and Bob often to me personally acknowledged his faults and failings. Still: just in that short testimonial we see that he looked to his Creator and his Savior, by way of the holy scriptures, for what he ought to be about, what he should be striving for. Bob was reconciled to God, and at some probably encouraged you to do so as well. If we truly honor him today, we should consider his greatest love and his greatest entreaty to us all.
Asking Bob what his favorite verse was – or what we might share today – was no easy task. In fact from his friends Jim, Tony and others I was actually given multiple and differing parts of scripture to read from today. Personally I know his favorite book of the Bible was Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which begins like this: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Bob knew that the word GRACE was very important… that it literally meant “unmerited favor”. That we didn’t deserve God’s love, but that what made grace so amazing is that God extended it to it when we were undeserving.
He also knew that in ourselves, NONE of us are at peace. And I don’t just mean inner peace, or peace between ourselves and the world, but peace between ourselves and God. That’s why Bob loved that verse in 2 Corinthians and said it twice: be reconciled to God. All of us since the first man, first woman, have in ourselves a posture of opposition toward God, choosing worship of self and not our Creator and sustainer, not to mention our neighbor. We don’t innately love God, and we don’t deserve His love. Scripture says we actually deserve his wrath. And YET: God decided to love us, and send a redeemer, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. To live in all the ways that we fall short, to pay the price for sin – death – by dying on the cross. Another of Bob’s favorite bible passages was Jesus’ own words in John 10, verses 10-11. He said I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. As a veterinarian who cared for many animals, Bob loved that illustration, and scripture talks about sheep a lot.
The prophecy of Messiah, of Savior, 700 years before Jesus in the book of Isaiah, said All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The “him” turned out to be Jesus, the one in whom Bob put his trust and through Jesus was reconciled to God, in whose presence He now rests. Bob put his faith in Jesus Christ, and through Jesus had hope in God for his eternity. And resting in that, he sought to love like Jesus loved. That’s why another favorite verse of Bob’s was 1 Corinthians 13:13. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Bob wasn’t perfect, but if at any point, on any day, in any season you were on the receiving end of his love, he would stress that was not truly him, but Christ’s influence ON him as he sought to live like Him. So I hope we each and everyone of us hear Bob’s words long after this memorial as he reads that verse very specifically to us: be reconciled to God. Put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and eternity. And then… be about his ministry of reconciliation.
Bob asked “what is your ministry of reconciliation?” and to put some legs on that I would simply add another of his favorite passages from Romans 12, culminating in verse 21. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In closing, I want to share a word of comfort but it begins with what seems like a sad thought, or a lamentable reality. But bear with me a moment. Bob had quite a life, a great many stories from a grand number of seasons… and in that life he accumulated many things; many businesses, material possessions, many creature comforts of this world. But as we know, in his final days the businesses were shuttered, many comforts faded away, his last days in a small assisted living home. And I think this is a helpful reminder of the reality for us all, no matter what trappings surround us: 1 Timothy 6 says for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. It goes on to say pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
For Bob, the things of this world fell away one by one, as they will ultimately for all of us. And we know he made the good confession of his faith in the presence of many witnesses, who are most of us here today. And a few weeks ago, right here in this room, worshipping God in His gratefulness to Jesus Christ, he quietly took hold of the eternal life to which he was called and passed into his presence. I can’t think of any better way he would have wanted to go. I know one of his highest hopes would be that we each are reconciled to God, seek to be his agents of reconciliation, and one day leave all our things behind and join him in eternal life. By God’s grace, may we answer that call.