Cleve Van Haasteren, a beloved member of our Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) family, passed away on March ___, 2021. A long-time member of our PHWFF family, Cleve served as the first PHWFF Regional Coordinator for New England, was a founding Trustee of our organization, served a term as Treasurer in 2016, and continued his dedication to those whom this organization serves from our origin to the present day as a passionate volunteer and supporter. Those who had the pleasure of his company will always cherish his charm, confidence, and ___________.  He will be deeply missed by all of us.  Join us in extending our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Cleve Van Haasteren was born and raised in Thomaston, Connecticut and graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1980. Later that year, he was commissioned as an Ensign, Supply Corps at the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI.

Following commissioning, Cleve attended the Navy Supply Corps School at Athens, Georgia and reported for his first assignment at sea aboard USS CONNOLE (FF-1056).  It was during this tour Cleve served under Captain Ed Nicholson, who later founded Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.  He served in additional sea tours as Supply Officer, USS BOONE (FFG-28) and Assistant Supply Officer USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33).

Among his assignments ashore, Cleve earned master’s degrees from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California (1992) and the U.S. Naval War College at Newport, Rhode, Island (1997). His final assignment was as Supply Officer, U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut where he retired in August 2002 and returned to the Navy as the civilian labor budget manager for the Navy’s Northeast Region. After five years, he returned to the world of submarine logistics as manager of the spare reactor components inventory at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, where he is employed today.

Cleve was a life-long fly fisher, fly tier and upland bird hunter and travelled extensively throughout North and South America in pursuit of these pastimes. From 2005-2009, he served as the first Regional Coordinator (New England) for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and then in various volunteer roles until being elected to the PHWFF Board of Trustees as Treasurer in March of 2015.

Cleve resided in South Berwick, Maine and has one daughter, Kayla, who is a U.S. Army officer stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.