Name:
Tim VanTassel
Occupation (current or previous):
Executive in software industry
What is your favorite type of music and/or band?
Depends on the time of the day – from the Silversun Pickups to Shostakovich
Where are you from? (Where did you grow up?)
A bit of everywhere… I lived in Ludington, MI until college (a town of 9,000), then after college in Ohio I spent a decade in California, 6 years in DC, then the Chicago area.
What was your religious upbringing, and what impact did that have on you?
Presbyterian…it was a great collective of good people
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Enjoy the ride… life happens while you are planning for it
What are your hobbies?
Spending time with my daughter…mountain biking, downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, camping, reading, chess.
How did you find out about LSUS?
On the web. My mother is a Unitarian as well.
Why do you stay with LSUS?
My wife and I love the variety of mind expanding topics for the adults (such great speakers are available from the Adler Planetarium’s astronomer to the University of Chicago’s dean of students), the music, the congregation, and the Religious Education program for our daughter which exposes her to the religions of the world.
Do you live in the area, and if so, how long?
Yes, we’ve lived in the area since 2008
How long have you been attending LSUS?
2017
If you didn’t choose the career path you embarked, what would you have pursued? Why?
I’ve been a bartender, a Marine artillery officer, a technology consultant, and even a short order cook over my career (I wasn’t a very good cook but good enough for the diner in my hometown!) so I’ve already had a variety of careers. I suspect my next step after software will be something related to land or nature conservancy… but that’s a few years off.
What is a fact about you that few people know?
I used to be a parachutist in the Marines with 14 jumps. It wasn’t PointBreak or anything… but I usually had to jump out the door first.
What is an accomplishment you are most proud of?
Being a good husband and dad.
