Gregory Eugene Van Dusen

Greg “Dutch” Van Dusen, 72, of Rocklin, California, passed away on February 21, 2023, at Sacramento VA Medical Center after a long battle with liver and kidney disease. He was born in Sacramento, California, to Kenneth and Hazel (Leighton) Van Dusen on October 12, 1950. He grew up in Sacramento with his maternal grandmother, mother, and brother, John, developing a passion for baseball and basketball. He attended Sacramento High School (class of 1968), where he developed lifelong friendships and served as the student body president during his senior year.

After high school, he was drafted and served in the U.S. Army as a linguist in the Army Security Agency from 1969 to 1971, including serving a 12-month combat tour in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He would later recall his military service as a source of great pride and a formative period in his life as a passionate servant of others.

Greg worked in professional sports for most of his life. He worked for the following professional sports teams: the Sacramento Gold, Sacramento Solons, Kansas City and Sacramento Kings, and Sacramento Surge. He served as the General Manager of Arco Arena from 1984 to 1989. He worked for Save Mart Supermarkets for many years and managed their sponsorship of NASCAR's Save Mart-Kragen 350, the Modesto Relays Track & Field Trials, and Save Mart's purchase of the naming rights of the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. His life’s work was to bring sports and entertainment to people in the Sacramento metropolitan area as a means of serving his community. Greg was an avid Sacramento Kings fan who always thought that next year was “their year” and loved the Sacramento region dearly as the place he called home nearly all his life.

Greg came to know Christ in adulthood and was baptized at the age of 42. He was a devoted father and grandfather. He loved his three sons and helped to shape them into three loving and caring men while instilling a good work ethic in each of them. He looked forward to visits from his grandkids and attending their sports activities and always took the opportunity to teach his grandkids life lessons. He told entertaining stories. Even in his last few days, he told stories from throughout his life as a man who endured through tremendous adversity and earned everything he ever had.

He is survived by his three sons, Adam (Mei) Van Dusen of Fresno, CA; Brett (Tess) Van Dusen of Lincoln, CA; and Kyle Van Dusen of Rocklin, CA; grandchildren: Michael, Carissa, Kyndall, Joshua, and Jace Van Dusen; brother John (Marilyn) Van Dusen of Rancho Cordova, CA; and many dear friends.

Family and friends are welcome to attend a memorial service which will be held on Thursday, March 2, at 10:00 a.m., at Heritage Oaks Memorial Chapel, 6920 Destiny Drive, Rocklin, California 95677.

Memorial donations can be made to Bayside Church of Granite Bay, 8191 Sierra College Blvd, Granite Bay, California 95661. https://granitebay.baysideonline.com/give/