Dirk VanderZwan, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died peacefully from complications of pneumonia at St. John’s Hospital on February 2. Dirk died with his wife at his side as he lay under a stand of bamboo branches that a nurse placed in his room at the critical-care unit, in accordance with his wishes to spend his last hours ‘under a tree.’ He was 76. Born on September 27, 1934 in Den Haag, Holland, Dirk came to the United States as a teenager by working his passage on a Holland America cruise ship. After briefly working at the famous Montauk Manor hotel on Long Island, he became an American citizen and joined the U.S. Army. When his tour was over, he moved to Las Vegas, where he met his first wife, Rosalie, and raised two daughters. Dirk worked as a maitre d’ in the showroom of the original Aladdin Hotel and later obtained his real estate license. He then moved to Post Falls, Idaho, where he built several spec homes before returning to Las Vegas. After a divorce, he moved to Los Angeles and settled in Pacific Palisades, where he met and married Melissa Grant and had a son, a family he so adored. In the Palisades, Dirk worked as a contractor renovating many local homes.’He was a familiar presence in the Palisadian-Post classifieds, and was known to many by his distinctive advertising slogan: ‘Dirk Does Doors.’ When he wasn’t busy working or spending time with his family, he enjoyed photographing nature, especially flowers and trees. Not a fan of digital technology, he preferred his old-fashioned 35-mm Canon camera. He was also an accomplished cook who rarely used recipes and could whip up a gourmet meal from kitchen staples. His white clam sauce and homemade beef jerky were family favorites. Sober for 28 years, Dirk supported the Clare Foundation, a community-based program that helps recovering alcoholics lead sober lives. He helped many men who lived in Clare’s residential facilities, teaching them handyman skills and giving them work to help them get back on their feet. Dirk is survived by his wife Melissa and their 17-year-old son DJ, a junior at Palisades High School, as well as his daughter Lisa and grandson Nicolaas of Ashland, Oregon, and daughter Tina and grandson Donovan of Las Vegas. The family welcomes friends and acquaintances to a memorial service on Friday, March 11, at 2 p.m. at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Dirk VanderZwan to the Clare Foundation, 909 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405.
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