Carl VanderWall

Carl VanderWall, 42, of Petoskey, passed away peacefully and entered the arms of his Savior Sunday morning, April 17, 2016, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born November 1, 1973, in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Steven and Beverly (DeGeest) VanderWall. He graduated from Kingsley High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornerstone University in 1996. He then attended the NMC Police Academy. After graduating from Academy in 1997, he married Jennifer VanDam in Kalamazoo. They lived in Traverse City, where Carl served as Deputy Sherriff for Grand Traverse County. He was hired in 1998 by the Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division as a Conservation Officer and assigned to Baraga County. In 2003 he transferred to Emmet County, where he worked until 2016.

Carl loved to serve, protect, and invest in his community both through his profession and through coaching. As an officer, he cherished opportunities to come alongside people in times of need and to promote excellence among his colleagues as a Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, and Survival Tactics Instructor. As a coach, he emphasized respect, discipline, and integrity, using every game and practice as an opportunity to instill character in the athletes. He coached Pop Warner football, middle school and elementary wrestling, and Little League baseball, and made “VanderWall pushups” a memorable achievement for hundreds of athletes. Carl also enjoyed hunting, teaching Concealed Pistol License classes, and sharing the fellowship of his small group at Walloon Lake Community Church. His faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ was what equipped him to pour into the lives of others so effectively.

Carl is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and children, Noah, Ahna, Noel, and Jaden, all of Petoskey; parents, Steven and Beverly VanderWall, of Kingsley; sister, Rachel (Mike) Weesner, nephew Micah and niece Lauren Weesner, all of Kingsley; numerous in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends; and a close brotherhood of law enforcement officers.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, April 22, at 1:00 p.m. at the Walloon Lake Community Church with Pastor Jeff Ellis officiating. Visitation will take place on Thursday, April 21, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the scholarship fund to be established for the VanderWall children, in care of Laura Budreau

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