ROYAL GATE DODGE OWNER COMMITS SUICIDE

I know someone that works with a family member of an employee at Royal Gate. She called this morning when her co-worker heard about this. There was supposed to have been a meeting at the dealership today regarding financial issues. Are these issues related to the unfortunate suicide of Mr. Van Hoogsrtaat? Regardless, pray for his soul. While suicide is objectively sinful one can never know the state of someones mind.

I'm afraid we will be seeing a lot more of this in the future.

"John Van Hoogstraat, 63, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on Monday inside Stella Blues, a south city bar he co-owned.

According to a police spokesperson, officers found Van Hoogstraat at 3 p.m. Monday inside his bar at 3269 Morganford, just south of Tower Grover Park.

Stella Blues closed for business earlier this summer. Van Hoogstraat was also part-owner of the restaurant Three Monkeys restaurant, a few blocks further north on Morganford.

An obit that appeared today in the Post-Dispatch says that Van Hoogstraat was the:

"president/owner of Royal Gate Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Inc. for 26 years and in the automotive business for 40 years and entrepreneur of other successful business ventures".

Riverfront Times