It is with heartfelt sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Lou Bastiaans. Lou passed away peacefully on August 24, 2026, surrounded by his family. He leaves behind a legacy defined by joy, a generous spirit, and an infectious, adventurous energy. To know Lou was to know a man with a radiant, larger-than-life smile, who brought warmth, wisdom, and boundless laughter into every conversation. He was the anchor of his circle— always reaching out, keeping in touch, and building lifelong friendships. Lou has especially proven to be a dedicated and supportive husband, father, and Opa.

Throughout his life, Lou embraced adventure while remaining deeply committed to family and friends. If there was a family gathering, Lou was right at the heart of it — sharing laughter and life lessons from his vast index of stories, while flipping burgers and spreading his love and talent with a jam session on the drums, guitar or harmonica.

Besides being a rockstar in life, he played bass guitar in many bands, and we all became his number one fan.

The relationships he built over his lifetime were also bonded over his passion of cars, motorcycle riding, fishing, camping, hiking, and biking near the ocean. In a weekend, you could find him on the water racing his boat, and then doing stand-up paddle boarding culminated by a night at Disneyland, dancing and enjoying the rides. He also loved attending the Long Beach Grand Prix every year and judging cars at local car shows.

Professionally, Lou spent his career in the automotive industry where he was deeply respected and adored by his work family. His knowledge made him the go-to car expert. His customer service earned him consistent five star ratings.

His open heart, vast generosity, and guiding voice left an indelible mark on everyone around him. Like a stone cast upon water, his kindness created continuous ripples of goodwill that will continue to inspire all who knew him.

Surrounded by loved ones during a solemn honor walk, Lou gave the ultimate gift of life through organ donation, leaving behind a lasting legacy.

Lou is survived by his loving family, including his wife Debbie; his children, Jonathan (Amanda), Jamison (Erin), Michael, and Priscilla (Kevin); dad Mike; his grandchildren, who called him, Opa: Lola, Nikko, Jane, Finley, Amelia, and Emerson; his sisters, Alwien, Marleen, Denise and Diane (Kirk); his beloved nieces and nephews; all his cherished friends, and fur babies. He was greeted in heaven by his father Willy, mothers Boonya and Kathie, and brother Jeff.

The family extends their deepest and most sincere gratitude to the medical team at UCLA for their dedicated and heroic care for nearly the past two months.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lou’s honor to Heart of the Brain (hotb.org) to support brain tumor research, or One Legacy (www.onelegacy.org) to support organ donation awareness.

Lou’s loved ones will carry his memory forward by striving to live each day as he did—with love, laughter, and an unwavering spirit of giving.

A celebration of life is being planned and will be updated here when it is finalized.