William John Van Balen

William John “Bill” Van Balen passed away peacefully on June 29, 2025, in Manassas, VA, after a brief decline in health at the age of 96. Born in Albany, New York on April 5, 1929, he was the eldest child of Beatrice Farrell and John Van Balen. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and graduated from Leyden High School in 1947. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Culver Stockton College in Canton, Missouri in 1951, where he was a proud member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. While in college, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves, stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois. After being honorably discharged in 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky, receiving his specialist training at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He was then deployed to Heilbronn am Neckar, Germany, to serve as a Corporal in the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 502D Communication Reconnaissance Group (a unit of the Army Security Agency) working as a cryptologist in the Allied Occupation of post-war Germany. While stationed in Heilbronn, he met his future wife, Trudy Kössinger. Bill and Trudy were married in 1955 in Valley Forge, PA. They settled in Annandale, VA as Bill started his career as a Patent Examiner with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). His work earned him numerous accolades from the Commissioner, including a Bronze Award in 1988, for excellence, quality, and productivity. He was a highly regarded Patent Examiner, training junior staff in research while helping the USPTO transition into the digital era. He retired in 1989 with almost 40 years of combined government service. For Bill, retirement was just the beginning. He took up guitar lessons, joined a band, and became an avid competitive swimmer. He trained and competed with the DC Masters and won medals and awards at regional, state and national events, including the Senior Olympics. Remarkably, his love of swimming likely helped extend the quality of his well-lived, long life. Bill was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Illinois, D.C. Cregier Lodge No. 81, Wheeling, Illinois, since 1951, and held the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago for 73 years. He was a Kena Shriner for 65 years, supporting the Shriners Hospitals for Children and other charitable endeavors. He played guitar with the Kena Hillbillys Band in Fairfax, Virginia, and joined them in various holiday parades. As a life member of the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge 2188, he was often found volunteering on bingo nights, participating in fundraisers, attending dances, or traveling with group excursions. Bill’s love of service further extended into his surrounding community. He served on the Broyhill Crest Recreation Association Board of Directors and as their Swim Team Representative. Fairfax County 4-H also benefited from his service during Fair time. He was a faithful, long-standing member of St. Albans Episcopal Church in Annandale, Virginia. He was a devoted husband, father, and a generous and loving grandfather. His grandchildren were his heart’s delight. Bill lived life to the fullest. In all of his activities, projects, travel, and conversations, he never once met a stranger—he had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel like family. Filled with warmth, enthusiasm, and more than his fair share of jokes that would roll eyes and return smiles, he garnered lifelong friendships that lasted well into his golden years. Classmates called him “a swell guy,” and that enduring charm carried through to his final days at Capitol Ridge Independent Living in Bristow, Virginia, where he continued to connect, laugh, and leave a lasting impression on everyone he met. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Carl and Don, and his wife of 66 years, Trudy. He is survived by his adopted daughter Christina (Thomas) Harrigan; grandchildren Megan and Sean Harrigan; his sister-in-law, niece, and extended family. A Masonic Service followed by a Christian funeral will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, August 8, at Pierce Funeral Home, Manassas, Virginia. A catered Reception will follow at 3:00pm. Interment will be at Quantico National Cemetery at 1:00pm, Monday August 11, 2025. Flowers may be sent to Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center St, Manassas, VA 20110 through Flowers ‘n Ferns (703-455-3100 or https://flowersnferns.com/). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of William Van Balen to St. Albans Episcopal Church, 6800 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003 or to Shriners Children’s Hospitals at https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/ways-to-give/donate.

William John Van Balen

April 5, 1929 - June 29, 2025