Johnny Van Cuyk, 89; Pitched for Brooklyn Dodgers

[Bill Schenley]

John H. Van Cuyk

Photo:
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FROM: The Rochester (MN) Post Bulletin ~
(Paid obit)

ROCHESTER

The funeral Mass for John Henry Van Cuyk
will be 11 a.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010, at
St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester,
with the Rev. Thomas Loomis and Rev.
Charlie I. Collins officiating.

Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at Macken
Funeral Home, and one half-hour prior to
services at the church on Thursday.

Burial will be Friday in St. Agnes Cemetery
in Kellogg.

Mr. Van Cuyk, 89, of Rochester, died Saturday,
July 10, 2010, at Golden Living Center West.

John was born on July 7, 1921, in Little Chute,
Wis., to Henry and Anna Van Cuyk. He grew
up in Kimberly, Wisconsin, where he attended
school. John served stateside in the United
States Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945.
He pitched in Major League Baseball for the
Brooklyn Dodgers and later played for the
Saint Paul Saints. After John's baseball career
ended, he went into real estate and car sales.

John married Josephine Fiers in 1941 in
Kimberly, Wis., who later passed away in 1988.
On December 9, 1989, he remarried to Kathryn
R. Ellison in Cleveland, Ohio.

John was a member of the Knights
of Columbus and the Elks.

Survivors include his wife; sons, John Jay
(Lila) Van Cuyk of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lonnie
P. (Linda) Van Cuyk of Schaumburg, Ill.;
step-children, Judy (Chris) Canney of
Bloomington, Minn., John (Diane) Ellison
of Lewiston, Idaho, and Liz (Michael)
Yochum of Rochester; 6 grandchildren,
6 step-grandchildren, and 8
great-grandchildren. John is preceded in
death by his parents, Henry and Anna
Van Cuyk; first wife, Josephine; brothers,
Joseph, Frank and Chris Van Cuyk [1]; and
sister, Delores.

Memorials are preferred to Lourdes High
School or the American Cancer Society.

Macken Funeral Home in charge
of arrangements.
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1953 Oakland Oaks baseball card:
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MLB Stats:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vancujo01.shtml

Thanks to J.G. Preston for this obit.

[1] Chris Van Cuyk also pitched
for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

[Corby Gilmore]

Post by Bill Schenley
John H. Van Cuyk
ROCHESTER
The funeral Mass for John Henry Van Cuyk
will be 11 a.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010, at
St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester,
with the Rev. Thomas Loomis and Rev.
Charlie I. Collins officiating.
Mr. Van Cuyk, 89, of Rochester, died Saturday,
July 10, 2010, at Golden Living Center West.
John was born on July 7, 1921, in Little Chute,
Wis., to Henry and Anna Van Cuyk. He grew
up in Kimberly, Wisconsin, where he attended
school. John served stateside in the United
States Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945.
He pitched in Major League Baseball for the
Brooklyn Dodgers and later played for the
Saint Paul Saints. After John's baseball career
ended, he went into real estate and car sales.
John is preceded in
death by his parents, Henry and Anna
Van Cuyk; first wife, Josephine; brothers,
Joseph, Frank and Chris Van Cuyk

Chris van Cuyk pitched briefly for the Dodgers as well, from 1950 to
1952. Chris van Cuyk had a reputation for being a "yapper", one who was
constantly whining at the umpires. One day, a plate umpire was getting an
unusual amount of grief from the Brooklyn bench. The umpire, wanting to
stop the chatter without hurting the Dodgers and knowing that Van Cuyk had
started the day before and was therefore not available for this game,
turned to the Brooklyn bench, jerked his thumb, and barked out "you're
outta the game, Van Cuyk!" It was then, much to his embarassment that he
found out that Van Cuyk had been sent to the minors after the previous
nights game and wasnt even on the bench that day!

Chris van Cuyk died on November 3rd, 1992 at the age of 65.