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Jordaan Rainier Van Sloten

Jordaan Rainier Van Sloten — kind, compassionate, generous, suave and full of love — died on Feb. 1, 2020. For those of us who got to spend time with Jordaan, we are forever changed and better because of him.

Jordaan carried the motto of “Ik houd’’ or “I love” from his Dutch heritage through all of his being. He was caring and enjoyed helping others. He was the friend you could call or count on, no matter your need. Professionally he chose jobs in which he was able to support, guide and help others, including being a social worker and a counselor for youth. In these positions he was known for going above and beyond to do anything he could to help those in need. After the sudden passing of Jordaan’s father, Ijme, in 2012, he came home to Hayden, Idaho, to care for his mother, Gwen. He cared for her until his death. Jordaan was a lover of all people and put others first.

He excelled at fostering relationships. Jordaan had friends and lovers all over the world. There was not a person he met that he did not take an interest in, and he strived to foster authentic relationships. He was open-minded and loved to hear about others’ experiences and perspectives. He was a passionate person and his passion came through in all of his interests, but it always began with people — he loved people.

Jordaan had a lifelong love affair with cars and women. He enjoyed all types of cars, but he had an affinity for power, performance and quality. During high school he founded and ran the “Hot Boyz Car Club” for friends and other car enthusiasts. He was also a fashionable and well put together man. He earned the official title “Mr. Suave” from the Coeur d’Alene High School, Mr. CHS contest in 2002. Though his passion for cars, style and friends burned strong, nothing burned as bright as his love for the ladies in his life. And of his many loves, none compared to his marriage to Chelsea, or as he called her, “Che-baby.”

Jordaan was gifted in many ways. He was a musical savant on the violin, guitar, mandolin and really any string instrument. He played in bands, was a part of many symphonies and enjoyed jamming with his friends. Jordaan held the 1st chair position in the University of Idaho Orchestra during his time on campus. He appreciated playing great music and also listening to all kinds of music, typically at max volume as he cruised in one of his fancy cars. He also had an incredible intellect that propelled him to academic success at Coeur d’Alene High School and throughout his degree in philosophy from the University of Idaho. During his time as a Vandal, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. To help a fellow Sigma Chi brother in need he served as a substitute “Joe Vandal” mascot at the University of Idaho sporting events on several occasions.

Jordaan traveled and moved extensively. He was born in the spring of 1984 near the beautiful tulips of Mount Vernon, Wash. He kept a special place in his heart for the west side of the state of Washington and he was a fan of the Seattle Sonics and Seahawks. He moved to Spokane as a child and then to Coeur d’Alene, attending Dalton Elementary, Canfield Middle School and became a proud Viking at Coeur d’Alene High School. During high school, he studied abroad in the Netherlands and made several friends with whom he stayed connected over the years. As an adult, Jordaan lived in Moscow, Lansing, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland and Milwaukee, before coming home to Hayden to care for his mother. He made friends and lovers across his travels and together with those who had spent time with him, we will forever miss our friend.