REV. JOHN BLACKISTON VAN SANT V August 17, 1958 – November 20, 2011 Reverend John Blackiston Van Sant V was born on August 17, 1958 in El Paso, Texas, the eldest of Jan and John Van Sant’s three children. Growing up in the 1960s, he showed aspirations of becoming a cowboy and an astronaut. He enjoyed Little League baseball and BB guns. He was a Boy Scout, an Indian Guide, and an honorary member of the Mickey Mouse Club. John started his education at Central Avenue School in Madison, New Jersey. He quickly became an avid reader, consuming volumes from favorite authors Dr. Seuss and Mark Twain. He also learned the trombone. By the grace of God, John graduated from Barrington High School in Barrington, Illinois. He was a columnist for the school newspaper, displaying his social conscience by authoring various op-ed and special interest pieces. His musical interests included Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin. John was heavily influenced by his experience with Lutheran Youth Encounter (LYE), a musical ministry team. He initially joined a regional touring team, visiting several Midwestern states and performing for church youth groups. He later joined a national touring team and then completed his tenure with a life-altering experience on an international touring team to Kenya and Tanzania. It was during this time that he learned to play the guitar, refined his prowess with the harmonica, and started to hear the pastoral call upon his life. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. It was at Wartburg where he met and married the love of his life, Linda Dargavel. They were married December 21, 1985 and recently celebrated 25 years together. John started out in Youth Ministry with assignments in Flint, Michigan and Saint Paul, Minnesota. John responded to God’s calling by attending Luther Northwestern Seminary in Saint Paul. He completed an internship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Luther Northwestern with a Master’s of Divinity degree. He and Linda sought sanctuary from the cold weather of Minnesota by moving to Oklahoma. His first congregation was Grace Lutheran in Weatherford, Oklahoma. From there he moved to lead congregations at Our Saviour’s Lutheran in Durant, Oklahoma and First United Lutheran in Dallas, Texas before joining his church “family” at Rejoice Lutheran Church in Frisco, Texas. John was father to three children, Malindi, Savannah, and Josh and a loyal dog, Maddie. John loved being a part of his children’s lives. He became a proud parent spectator of band concerts, color guard competitions, soccer, T-ball games, lacrosse and football games – and did his share of carpooling. He enjoyed playing bad golf but succeeded in scoring a hole-in-one at the zenith of his career. John loved reading, especially historical fiction and sci-fi and realized one of his lifelong dreams by snow skiing in Colorado. He liked to get away to camp, fish, and enjoy the outdoors when time permitted. Perhaps his greatest love other than golf was writing. He had recently started writing a book about his two favorite things: Golf and God. Mostly, John loved being a pastor and thanked God every day for the partnership in ministry he shared with the people of Rejoice. During his time as Pastor at Rejoice he especially took delight in moving the congregation into its first building and starting a puppet ministry. John truly considered the people at Rejoice as part of his family, and knew that he had certainly found his pastoral niche when God placed him at Rejoice. John passed away on November 20, 2011 in Oklahoma City due to complications following a procedure to correct a heart arrhythmia. John was 53. He is survived by his wife, Linda Van Sant of McKinney, Texas; children, Malindi, Savannah and Josh Van Sant all of McKinney, Texas; parents, John B. IV and Jan Van Sant of Barrington, Illinois; brother, Karey (Sue) Van Sant of St. Louis, Missouri; sister, Lisa Van Sant of Lindenhurst, Illinois; father and mother in-law, Dr. Chester and Patricia Dargavel of Apache Junction, Arizona; sisters in-law, Laurie (Wade) Geving of Ramsey, Minnesota, Lisa (Darryl) Van Ravenhorst of Burnsville, Minnesota; nieces and nephews, Stephanie, Alan, Daniel, Becky, Rachel, Hannah, Jared, Josiah; his Church family, many friends and beloved dog, Maddie. The family will receive friends during a Visitation to be held at Noon on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas. Funeral Services will follow the Visitation beginning at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either a college fund for the children, in care of Linda Van Sant, 3604 La Tierra Linda Trail, McKinney, TX 75070 or Rejoice Lutheran Church, 12000 Independence Parkway, Frisco, TX 75035.