Rhoades Less Traveled:

It’s fitting that Jan Vandersloot passed away in front of a computer, said his son, Jon, who found him slumped over the keyboard.

Turns out, his father was composing a letter — no doubt lobbying for this or that environmental cause.

“He had such a deep admiration for nature,” said Jon Vandersloot, 25.

Jan Vandersloot, of Newport Beach, was a central figure in the fight to preserve nature from the encroachment of development, focusing his energy and considerable intellect on areas of Newport Beach and the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach.

Vandersloot, a dermatologist, died Thursday. He was 64. The cause has not been determined, but his son believes it was cardiac arrest.

Several months ago, I took a tour of native plants in Newport Beach with Vandersloot.

We started at Castaways and ended up at the much-criticized Bayview Park.

Along the way, Vandersloot, who walked with the straight-up dignity of a king, seemingly above it all, showed that despite being an accomplished doctor and a celebrity in town, he was willing to roll up his sleeves and get dirty, bending down to pick various plants and explain their names and their ways.

Nothing escaped his eye or his keen knowledge. Native plants, he emphasized, are important because of their roots — no pun intended — in California and because, having a history here, they often need less water and pose less of a risk when wildfires strike, which they seem to do on a yearly basis.

“He’s one of the giants,” said Jean Watt, a resident who crossed paths with Jan Vandersloot more than once. “He gave everything he had to the environment. On a scale of 1 to 10, he’s a 10 on environmental activism.”

Watt recalls that Vandersloot was involved in environmental issues since the 1970s.

Councilman Don Webb recalls Vandersloot’s dedication to Cliff Drive Park. He lobbied for the health of the park, and he spent hours weeding there.

“He was almost as stubborn as I was,” Webb said. “I don’t know anyone who worked harder to get done what they wanted to get done.”

Vandersloot’s interest in the environment transcended the borders of Newport Beach. He was a staunch opponent of development — and proponent of preserving wetlands — at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach.

Where did he find the time?

It’s anyone’s guess, but if there was a meeting dealing with development crowding out the environment, you could count on him being there.

And you could count on a persistent but gracious voice, as if he could not be bothered with the pettiness that often weasels its way into political arguments.

“Everybody respected him for what he was doing,” said Jon Vandersloot.

Jan Vandersloot recently contributed money to Castaways Park so it could be hydro-seeded with spring flowers.

Councilwoman Nancy Gardner saw a fitting end to Vandersloot’s life.

“One of the last things he did will be appreciated by people long after he’s gone,” she said.

Vandersloot is survived by his wife, Cheryl, his son, Jon, and his daughter, Tiffany.

Editor BRADY RHOADES may be reached at (714) 966-4607 or at [email protected].