Vicky Lynn VanLaanen

Vicky Lynn VanLaanen (née Fink), age 61, passed away peacefully at her home in Stillwater, Minnesota on March 24, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Vicky was born on February 10, 1965, in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and grew up in Hudson, Wisconsin. From a young age, she embraced life with energy and creativity. She trained as a dancer for 13 years, developing a lifelong love of music and movement, and was known for dancing with a joyful spirit as if no one were watching. She also loved riding her motorbike around town, enjoying the freedom of the open road.

Following high school, Vicky proudly served her country in the Army Reserves for eight years, achieving the rank of Sergeant (E5). During her service, she met First Lieutenant Michael John VanLaanen while training at Fort McCoy in the summer of 1986. Their connection grew into a lifelong partnership, and they were married on March 18, 1989, at Trapnal Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Vicky pursued her education in business administration and built a successful career as a personal banker with Norwest and Wells Fargo, dedicating over 15 years of service—primarily at the Stillwater branch. There, she formed a deep and lasting friendship with Jenny Wanovich, who became one of her closest companions.

Her children were her greatest pride and accomplishment, and she loved them with a fierce and unwavering devotion. During the times Michael was deployed, Vicky was the steady foundation of their home—raising her children with strength, compassion, and resilience, and instilling in them the values and lessons that would guide them throughout their lives. Her oldest daughter, Vanessa VanLaanen, reflected her mother’s caring nature, becoming a teacher. Her middle child, Melissa VanLaanen, was deeply influenced by Vicky’s sharp mind and inner strength. Her youngest, Christopher Michael VanLaanen followed in her footsteps of service, proudly serving in the National Guard as an E4.

Vicky had a deep appreciation for life’s beauty. At home she loved to garden and had flowers everywhere. She loved traveling and camping with her family, always chasing the vibrant colors of autumn leaves, breathtaking pink sunsets, and the powerful blues and whites of cascading waterfalls. Vicky and Mike traveled to 37 different states together and she experienced a handful more by herself. She not only sought out these moments when traveling and camping with family, but carefully preserved them as an avid and talented scrapbooker, turning memories into lasting treasures. Crafting and creative expression were among her greatest joys.

She was also a proud member of the AA community and was sober for the last six years of her life. She found strength and purpose in her sobriety, a testament to her resilience and determination.

Vicky was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer Enoch Fink and Dorothy Pauline Fink; her brothers, Eugene and Terry Fink; her sister, Tammy Fink; and her dear friend, Jenny Wanovich.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Michael John VanLaanen; her daughters, Vanessa Marie VanLaanen and Melissa Ann VanLaanen (Alec Theis), and her cherished grandson, Torin Martin Theis; her son, Christopher Michael VanLaanen; her sisters, Sheri Fink-Miller (Dewey Miller) and Dawn Fink; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

In accordance with her wishes, a small private viewing for immediate family and siblings was held on March 25, 2026. Her ashes will be shared among her family and spread in the places she loved most. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the COPD Foundation in Vicky’s memory.

Vicky had a special love for birds and held close the belief, “When a cardinal appears, a loved one is near.” Her spirit will live on in the beauty of nature, in the music that moves us, and in the memories she so carefully preserved for those she loved.

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered. May we think of her whenever we see a cardinal, a sunset, or hear a song that makes us want to dance.