John Henry Matthew Vreeland Jr., born March 2, 1935 in Los Angeles, CA, passed on Friday,
January 14th, 2022 surrounded by his loving wife, Ursula, and two sons, Jens and Lars. John
was lovingly known as Jack to his close family and Opa to his grandchildren. Born to Mildred
Jaques and John Vreeland Sr, John Vreeland Jr. has two siblings James Vreeland (passed) and
Joyce Sarfati. After leaving the service he met and married Ursula Stammel. After a short
courtship, John and Ursula were married April 6, 1968 at the Rock of Gibraltar. They had two
children, Jens Peter and Lars.
He graduated from George Washington High School in 1953 and was the first in his family to
earn a Bachelor's degree in Steam Engineering from the Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo. In
1956 he completed Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Florida. As a naval pilot he traveled to
many continents around the world including South America, Europe and Africa. After serving
his country he went to work for many years at corporations such as McDonnell Douglas, Bear
Medical, and Natec.
John is survived by his sons, Jens and Lars Vreeland, daughter Victoria, daughters-in-law,
Heather and Barbara Vreeland, and grandchildren Elizabeth, Rebekah, Heidi, and Ethan John.
John's pride and joy was being Opa a.k.a. Grandpa. Why Opa? Opa is the informal German
name for grandfather or grandpa. Since both sets of grandkids have two sets of grandparents,
Opa was a special name and easily pronounced when the grandkids were first learning to speak.
It is how the family will always remember him.
John's greatest pleasure in life was the years with Ursula, followed by their children and most of
all spending time with family, telling his many stories about his life as a naval pilot and engineer.
He really had a knack for storytelling. His family will miss his stories, along with his funny and
quirky jokes, typical of the Vreeland Family.
John loved sports. In his younger years he played baseball and was so proud when he learned
that his grandson, Ethan John (7 yrs. old), was quickly becoming a little league super star 3rd
baseman and his granddaughter, Heidi (10 yr.s old), a fierce soccer player like her dad. There are
also many fond memories with his other grandchildren, Ellie (19 yrs. old) and Bekah (16 yrs.
old), playing "Olie Olie Olie," knitting with Omi, and enjoying some "lat' moo" (chocolate
mousse made by Ursula).
He also loved a good meal with his family. He was not a fan of going out to restaurants because
he would rather have a hot home cooked meal, while telling stories, and listening to old records
from artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Roger Miller. You can call him old school or
you can call him just a man who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life.
In their later years, John and Ursula loved to travel to their two favorite destinations, Hawaii and
Lake Tahoe, CA. They would book a couple weeks at each destination to enjoy the sites, while
John read his books and Ursula knitted beside him. He was always so proud of Ursula's talent
for knitting. He wore one of her sweaters every day, even in 100 degree weather!
John will be missed by his family, but as a man of God, his family knows they will see him again
in heaven. He loved gardening, so just like the lemons and grapefruits he nurtured, he
temporarily leaves us with a reminder of the fruits of his love for his family.
Services will be held Monday, February 14, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at Riverside National Cemetery,
22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA 92518, followed by a Celebration of Life luncheon at 30
Parrell Ave, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610. John will be laid to rest with a full honors 21-gun salute
for his service to his country