Marie Betty Vandermeer

Marie Betty (Van Keppel) Vandermeer, of Maryville, Tennessee, passed away at the Shannondale Health Care Center on April 23, 2021 at the age of 87. Marie was born in Phoenix, Illinois on February 28, 1934 to Willem and Helen (Blankenstein) Van Keppel. She graduated from Fenger High School in Chicago, Illinois in 1952 and immediately went to work at Kerns Industrial Corporation to help support her mother and younger sister. She met her husband Roy through the Chicago Christian Choral Club where she was a member of the alto section. Singing always remained a very important part of her life. Marie and Roy married in 1956 and their first son, Philip Roy Vandermeer, was born in 1957. When Roy finished his Ph.D. at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Their second son, Paul Lawrence Vandermeer, was born there in 1961. During the time she lived in Oak Ridge, Marie served as secretary of Covenant Presbyterian Church and as a founding member and director of Contact Teleministries (now the Contact Care Line), one of her proudest achievements. After 25 years in Oak Ridge, Marie and Roy moved to Alexandria, Virginia and became involved at The National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C., where Marie served as a Stephen Minister, and as a ruling elder and member of session. Moving from Alexandria (on 9-11) Marie and Roy lived in Columbus, Ohio for a decade before moving back to East Tennessee. They have lived at Shannondale of Maryville for the past 7 ½ years. Preceding Marie in death were her father, mother, and two sisters, Esther Kings and Wilma Turk. She is survived by her beloved husband Roy, her two sons Philip and Paul (Sarah), her grandson Christopher (Jennie) Widell, four precious great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She lived in the strong hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of Psalm 23. There will be a celebration of her life on June 24, 2021, from noon until 3:00pm at the Smithview Pavilion, 601 Smithview Dr., Maryville, TN 37803. In lieu of flowers the family would welcome contributions to either the Contact Care Line (contactlistens.org) or the Great Smoky Mountains Association Legacy Fund (smokiesinformation.org/make-a-donation). Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Marie Betty Vandermeer please visit our Sympathy Store.