Devoted to family and values of kindness, service above self and integrity
NORTH READING — Roland D. Van Kavelaar, Jr., a resident of North Reading and formerly longtime of Melrose, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington. He was 74.
Born in Manchester, Conn. on February 26, 1951, Roland was one of four children of the late Roland D. Van Kavelaar, Sr. and Janice (Visscher) Van Kavelaar. He was raised in Connecticut and Pennsylvania before his family settled in Boxford where he graduated from Masconomet Regional High School. In 1973, he married Janice Willett and together they made their home in Melrose where they raised their two children and built a life centered around family, faith and service.
Known affectionately as “Rolly,” he was a man who found joy in both hard work and simple pleasures. He owned and operated a Brigham’s Ice Cream in Stoneham before settling in as the Food Service Director for the Marlborough Public Schools. After many years as food service director, he semi-retired into a clerical administration role in the Revere Public Schools. Dedicated and dependable, Rolly took pride in everything he did and valued the people he met along the way.
Rolly was deeply committed to his faith and to his community through his longtime involvement at Trinity Parish in Melrose. He gave freely of his time and talents, volunteering weekly at the Trinity Thrift Shop and My Brother’s Table food pantry and serving faithfully on the Church Vestry, the Deaconate and as a Greeter. His quiet dedication, steady presence and willingness to lend a hand made him a reliable, well-loved parishioner and a friend to all.
Outside of church, Rolly enjoyed life’s simple joys. Days at the beach with family, always with a newspaper in hand in Rhode Island, Cape Cod or Nahant were a lifelong highlight. And a good round of golf with family or a game of cribbage kept Rolly happy. An Eagle Scout at heart, he loved the outdoors and could always be found tending to his yard, relaxing on the deck or keeping busy with a small project. For many years, he was also an avid bowler and a loyal Red Sox fan.
Easygoing, sociable and always ready with a good laugh, Rolly made friends wherever he went. He had a generous heart, a steady faith and a genuine way of making those around him feel cared for. Above all, he was devoted to his family and the values that guided his life, kindness, service above self and integrity.
Rolly will be remembered as a loving husband, father and friend whose legacy of faith and generosity will continue to inspire all who knew him.
Rolly was the beloved husband of Janice C. (Willett) Van Kavelaar with whom he shared 52 years of marriage. Devoted father of Jason Van Kavelaar and his wife Tiffany of Medford and Jennifer Van Kavelaar of Epping, N.H. Dear brother of Susan Weiscopf and her husband Eric of Albany, N.H.; Phyllis McKinnon and her husband Ron Noviello of Pelham, N.H.; Mary Jane Ryan and her late husband Robert of Newton, N.H.; and brother-in-law of Merilyn Willett of Stoneham; and the late Billy Willett and Alan Willett. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends were invited to gather during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose on Tuesday, November 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. and for his funeral service at Trinity Parish in Melrose on Wednesday, November 12 at 10 a.m. Memorial donations may be made in his name to Trinity Parish, 131 W. Emerson St., Melrose, MA 02176. For online tribute, visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.