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We send our deepedt condolences to the Doty Family. Van was a good friend, work colleague, and first class individual. I had the priviledge of playing a couple of Sager Golf events with him and it was always a great time. We will miss him and god bless him! Michael Conti and Conti-Younger Inc.

Van was a true friend, colleague and partner. We shared many wonderful times, laughs and family times through the years. He was a mentor that I looked up to. He was a good person. A good man. He will be missed. RIP Van

Van was a great friend to me at CCHS. I checked my year book and it reminded me of the the times that we would go to his house and listen to Ray Charles. It was great to see him last summer at the golf outing. I was fortunate to be paired with him and we had some great conversation. He couldn't speak loud enough and I didn't bring my hearing aides. After I got home from the outing I played golf the next day only to realize the we had swapped drivers. I texted him and we both laughed about it I told him I was going to keep it because I had a great driving day , He told me to keep it. A great man and a good person. Schnauzer

Dick and I will be forever grateful for our friendship with Van. Losing him has left a hole in our hearts. His friendship was unconditional. He made us both better people by his example. We got to be the recipient of his love, humor, story telling and generosity for 49 years. It is a gift we will treasure forever. He has continued, as he always did, to make us smile and even laugh at some of our fond memories together while we wiped our tears away. Annette, we are sending you and the family peace, prayers and love until we can be together.

Annette and family, I'm so sorry to hear the news of Van's passing. Sending thoughts and prayers to all of you.

My deepest sympathies to Annette and your family. I'm deeply saddened by this as I have known Van for most of my life. He was such a warm and caring individual, whom I feel very fortunate to have known. Fond memories of my friendship with Van and Annette during Junior High School, High School years and thereafter. I always looked forward to seeing them in Falmouth during the summer, and catching up with our family stories. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. Rest in Peace Van. You will be missed. Elaine Thompson Strier

Van so sorry to hear about your Dad he was a "Class Act", May he Rest In Peace.

Dear Annette and family, so sorry to hear of the loss of yet another integral member of the class of CCHS64. Van and I shared experiences from Alcott, Junior High, CCHS and even Boston University. Then we both ended up working in the wholesale electronic components industry. I am left with fond memories of CCHS64 reunions, where Van always had a funny quip or observation accompanied by a big smile. I will keep your family in my prayers.

Dear Annette, Leslie and I are heartbroken to learn of Van's passing. It is hard to express what 40 years of knowing and working with Van has meant to us. He was always so welcoming to Leslie, whenever there were events that brought our families together. Know that we are thinking of you and your family and look forward to the time when we can all be together again to celebrate this wonderful man. Sending out love, Widge and Leslie

My condolences to the Doty Family. I am glad to have known and work with Van for many years. I will always remember his quick wit! And, that he was a great dancer from our holiday parties. Rest in Peace Van.

We are so saddened about this news Annette. Our prayers are with you and your family. Kathy and Jay Arthur

We are so saddened about this news Annette. Our prayers are with you and your family.

Annette and family, So sorry to learn of the loss of another great member of the CCHS class of '64. Van was so much a part of the life of the class not only in sports, and will be fondly remembered. Keep happy memories, Martha Berglind Burnham

Annette & Family, My deepest sympathy on the passing of your beloved Van. I have so many great memories of Van. First as a rival in football ( Maynard vs Concord) and then as a teammate at BU. We started out competing against each other and then formed a friendship as teammates. I am so saddened by this loss. Our experiences together were a big part of my life and he will never be forgotten. All my love, Herb Symes - Maynard 64 - BU 68

Dear Annette and family. I was so sorry to hear of Van's passing. I remember you both in high school where you met, fell in love and started your lives together. Know Annette you, your children and grandchildren are in my thoughts and prayers. Joanne Gibson Schorn

Annette, I was sorry to learn that Van passed away recently. He was part of my fabric and an important part of my life. My brother Bill and Mary send their condolences as well. Van and I met in first grade at Alcott School in Miss Faunce’s class, back when you were in class by alphabetical order. I was away with family as my father served in Marines so I missed kindergarten when most of my Alcott School cronies met each other. I remember being in the third reading group while Van was either in second or first reading group so we didn’t spend much time together. The guys used to play baseball at school. A happy day was when they invited me to join them and baseball became a very important part of our lives. And we played before school and after school just about every day. And, in the summer, we played at Emerson playground with Coach O’Connell and all sorts of people who would show up for “Summer Baseball.” Van was one of us until his family departed for Falmouth each summer. We played baseball and we played football in games we organized ourselves. We cleared ice at Fairy Land to play hockey in the winter. An off the wall recollection was coming to school one Monday morning in fifth grade or so and hearing everyone, including Van, talking about Elvis Presley who I had never heard of. Our TV had broken so we did not see him and I was clueless. We became Elvis fans. We created a baseball diamond in the corner of Emerson Playground and used to leave the sock hops at Alcott School so we could play baseball. (In those days we went to school at Peter Bulkeley school (6th through 8th grade) but, having no food facilities at PB, we would go to Alcott School to eat. One of the activities at that time was a sock hop after lunch two days a week. We attended regularly until baseball season began when we high-tailed it to our baseball diamond.) Van, Seth, John Boynton and I played football, baseball and basketball in seventh and eighth grade. My house, around the corner on Hubbard St, was a regular hangout for us. We would hang out after practice, brag and compete. My mother decried the state of her living room ceiling on account of the finger marks streaked across the surface. Seth and Van regularly left their marks while John and I were adept at air reaches. We thought that we were pretty cool but one day we met our match. Billy Orpik, Bobby Woodin, Ed Mullin and others challenged us to a Concord vs West Concord hockey game. Our Emerson playground skills did not translate well onto Warner’s Pond and we were humiliated. Van’s father was an electrician…and he smoked…and I am pretty sure he thought that his wife did not know. Van and I would see him around town, relaxing in his truck, smoking a cigarette and tapping the ashes on that little window that cars and trucks had, probably for tapping cigarette ashes. It was our little joke, although I think, in retrospect, that there were four of us in on the joke. We were in Boy Scouts together. I remember that he gave me a pair of shoes which had a device that closed the shoe like a reverse shoehorn instead of laces. We were in Math class with Norton Levy and we sat in the back beside each other. Contrary to what Glenn Kantorski said, I am pretty sure that he was left end and I was right end in eighth grade football, a year we went 8-0. In ninth grade he was switched to interior line, tackle, while Mike Frantz became left end. We went 10-0. Van was a very fine football player. One day at practice, Frank Krypel, our line coach, said that he was going to show us how to break noses legally. He brought Van out and started firing forearms at his mask. No noses were broken but Van took it in stride. By ninth grade, I had stopped playing basketball while Van went on to become a solid player, remembered by a college and lifetime friend from Melrose as a big, tough guy. It hurts to lose Van. While we were not close for many years after college, it has been fun to connect with him at reunions and in our recent reunion golf tournament and nice to have been able to visit with you and him recently. He was a rock of a guy and the type of a person this world needs. It is sad that he was taken from us so early but we are glad that we had his company in person and in spirit for these many years. What comes to mind are the words at the end of the movie, Stand by Me: I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?” (I had to google the exact words but that sums it up in my mind.) Annette, my thoughts and prayers are with you. He was a fine man and we will miss him. Ken Anderson

Van was a vital member of our Bridge Gate community...a valued neighbor and friend who will be greatly missed. Love and prayers to the Doty family from Bev and Tom.