In Memory

Jan Van Oosten - Class Of 1952

Jan Van Oosten

To say Jan Roger VanOosten loved birds wouldn't quite capture the depth of his passion.  The former director of the Woodland Park Zoo maintained aviaries for parrots and other species throughout his life, and traveled to such exotic locales as the Solomon Islands and New Guinea to help set up breeding facilities.  He was an early proponent of eco-tourism and sought to protect endangered species in innovative ways.

His son, Roger, said Mr. VanOosten even dressed a bit like a bird, with loud shirts, bright ties, and plaid slacks.  Mr. VanOosten died on May 1, 2005, after suffering a blood clot.  He was 71.

A native of Boston, Mr. VanOosten lived in Holland and France before his parents moved the family to San Marino, California, at the outbreak of World War II.  His father was also an amateur ornithologist who built aviaries and cared for birds.

In a posting on the website of the Canadian Parrot Symposium, Mr. VanOosten said he started collecting birds at age nine.  He began with pigeons, then went on to lovebirds, finches, Australian parakeets, cockatoos, doves, quail, and pheasants before specializing in parrots.

He graduated from the University of Southern California, majoring in international studies.  After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he landed an employee-relations job with oil giant Texaco in 1958.  But animals were always a central part of his life.  He was one of the founders of the Seattle Zoological Society and a board member of the World Scientific Foundation.  Although he had no academic training in zoology or animal husbandry, he beat out 20 other finalist and became Woodland Park Zoo director in 1971. 

Among Mr. VanOosten's first ambitions was a plan to house different species together in a way that would better resemble their natural habitat, even if one animal might consider his roommate rather tasty.  There were a few lost birds in the crocodile pen, but the idea of cohabitation eventually caught on and is common in zoos around the world.

He left the zoo in 1974 and worked for a time as development director at the Pacific Science Center, said his son, Roger.  Later in life, Mr. VanOosten bred birds and sold them to zoos and collectors.  "It was his passion and his love to be around birds," said Roger VanOosten, who noted his father died with about 30 exotic birds in his aviary, and the family is looking to find them a good home.  "He was a multi-talented man and a great researcher, and he lived his life to the fullest," said his daughter, Gabrielle Herring.

Mr. VanOosten is survived by his wife of 45 years, Marion; his daughters Gabrielle Herring and Kara VanOosten; and his son, Roger, all of Seattle.  He is also survived by his sisters Helene VanOosten and Elinor VanOosten of Santa Barbara, California.

The Seattle Times, May 7, 2005