In Memoriam:

Kay Van Rooy

Kay Van Rooy

Long-time Canyon Lake resident, Kay Van Rooy passed away peacefully on March 19, 2024. Born in Omaha, Nebraska on Oct. 9, 1935 to Evelyn and Emmett Harvey, she was an only child.

After graduating from Central High School in Omaha, Kay and a girlfriend came to Los Angeles for a summer trip, but never went home. Kay was able to get a secretarial job at Trans World Airlines (TWA), which enabled her to go home to visit, and even take her mother to Europe.

While playing on an airline industry bowling league, Kay met her first husband, Darrell Naslund. They had two children together, Steven in 1958 and Karla in 1959. The marriage only lasted a few years, but as a single mom, she was able to buy a house in La Habra and continue secretarial work.

She met and married her second husband, Dell Van Rooy in 1966 and they moved their family to Diamond Bar, where they lived for 22 years. Their daughter, Jana, was born in 1968.

The family attended North Minster Presbyterian Church, where Kay served as a Deacon. She played Guitar in a musical group, Of One Accord, and was involved in many projects, including the sponsorship of a refugee family, the Lee’s, who are still close family friends.

The Van Rooys moved to Canyon Lake in 1984 where they attended Canyon Lake Community Church and Kay became very involved in local activities including the Emergency Preparedness Committee. She participated in many Red Cross Training programs and evacuation and preparedness shelter drills.

Kay was very interested in tracing her roots and joined the Lake Elsinore Genealogical society (LEGS), where she researched her family back to Ireland where she later visited.

For 35 years, Kay was a member of the Canyon Lake Lioness Club and served as President from 1988 to 1989 and was also a Lioness of the Year in 1991. She loved being a Lioness and looked forward to participating in all the club’s activities. The Lioness Club sponsored a foreign exchange student from Austria, Eva, who stayed in the Van Rooy home. Eva and the Van Rooy family still remain friends.

One of Kay’s greatest service projects was on Canyon Lake’s Evans Park West Committee. In 1987, this small neighborhood homeowners group raised funds with the local clubs and petitioned the Canyon Lake POA to develop Evans Park Par Course. This opened in 1990 and is enjoyed by many people today. Her family plans to have a bench installed in Evans Park in her honor.

Kay was preceded in death by her husband, Dell Van Rooy, and is survived by son, Steven Naslund (wife Darlene), grandson Eric of Yorba Linda, daughter Karla White of Canyon Lake (grandson Chris White and family and granddaughter Jessica Tims and family) and daughter, Jana Aragon of Riverside (husband Josh, granddaughters Sky and Bella and Grandson Andrew). Kay was blessed with many grandchildren and great grandchildren on the Van Rooy side.

Her services will be held on April 19 at Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park and Mortuary.