03/13/2026
Chester (Van) Lee Van Gundy, age 84, of Lake City, IA, passed away on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City. He was born on February 13, 1942, to parents Chester C. and Aloha (Boyce) Van Gundy in Knoxville, IA. Van grew up in the area where he attended school.
On February 26, 1965, Van enlisted to serve his country in the United States Army. He served one year in Vietnam, earning the rank of Private (PVT), and was honorably discharged on January 31, 1968. In 1965, he was united in marriage to Carol Fox in Fort Lee, VA. Together, they had four children and later divorced. In 1989, Van married Anna Christine Whisman. They were together until she passed away in 2004.
Van was a jack of all trades whose career spanned farming, construction, drywall, auto repair, building, mowing, and more.
In his free time, Chet’s hobbies also involved 
fishing, inventing, and even gold mining; he would spend his days building and experimenting. Van had a lifelong love of tinkering to perfection, as fondly remembered by those who knew and loved him.
Those left to cherish his memory include his children: Chester Lee Jr. (Brenda) Van Gundy of Colorado Springs, CO, Ray Van Gundy of Spearfish, SD, Joe (Rachel) Van Gundy of Lake City, IA, Jim (Amy) Van Gundy of St. Petersburg, FL; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and many siblings and extended family members.