Class Year: 1950

Russell VanDyke ’51, 86, of Rochester, MN. passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at Mayo Clinic Hospital – St. Marys Campus in Rochester. Russell was born on February 8, 1930 in Rochester, NY to Russell H. and Mary Geneva (Austin) VanDyke. He graduated from high school in Rochester, NY and attended Hope College and… Continue Reading →

John Willits ’51 of Naples, Florida, age 88, passed away at the home of his daughter Debra, husband Michael Hoefling and daughter Lisa Hoefling on December 8, 2016 in Naples, FL. He was preceded in death by his parents: Dr. Paul and Alice Willits; his son, Michael Voigt Willits, his brother Paul Willits Jr and… Continue Reading →

Annette Siderius ’52 DeWolf passed away gently and gracefully on Sunday, July 17, 2016. She follows her loving husband of 62 years, John E. DeWolf Jr. ’51, who passed in January of this year. She is survived by 4 children, John (Sue) DeWolf III; Leigh Ann DeWolf ’79 (Mark ’79), Frederik (Margaret Gallo) and Ivonne DeWolf… Continue Reading →

Richard Reinemann ’53 a Medfield resident since 1965, died on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He was 85 years old. Born in Oradell, New Jersey to the late Louis and Henrietta (Arnold) Reinemann, he was raised and educated in the Oradell Public Schools, graduated with the class of 1949,… Continue Reading →

Stanley Vander Aarde ’53, age 85, of Orange City, passed away on Saturday, November 19, 2016, at the Orange City Area Health System. Stanley Bernard was born on September 26, 1931, in Orange City, the son of Bernard John and Christina (Luchtenburg) Vander Aarde. He attended the public school and the Northwestern Academy and Junior… Continue Reading →

Frederick Bauer ’54  died unexpectedly at his home in Swannanoa. Born in Queens, New York, he was a graduate of Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Following his graduation he completed his military duty in the US Army. He worked in New York City until retiring to Western North Carolina in 1996. He is survived by his beloved… Continue Reading →

Lois Huizenga ’54, age 87, of Holland, passed away Sunday, September 25, 2016, at the Inn at Freedom Village. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, William and Elizabeth ( Grit) Huizenga; brothers, Raymond ’47 and Anne ( Dethmers) Huizenga and Jonathan Huizenga; and an infant sister. Survivors include a brother, Clarence Huizenga ’56… Continue Reading →

Joyce Kobes ’54 Proechel, 84, of Holland, passed away on Dec 30, 2016. She was preceded in death by previous husbands, Hardy Ensing ’52 and Bill McQueen; and her brother, Ronald Kobes. She is survived by her husband, Donald Proechel; her four children, Gregory (Kelly) Ensing, Diane (Mike) Butcher, David (Gretchen) Ensing, and Michael ’91… Continue Reading →

Carolyn Lange ’54 VanderWoude of Albert Lea, Minnesota, died Saturday, October 8, 2016 at the ThorneCrest Retirement Center in Albert Lea. She was 86 years of age. Carolyn was born November 27, 1929 in Pipestone, MN, the daughter of Walter and Cecelia (Meyer) Lange. She graduated from Pipestone High School in 1948, attended Hamline University,… Continue Reading →

Donald Baird ’55, 82, passed away on Dec. 7, 2016 at Scotia Village. Born on December 11, 1933 in Hudson County, New Jersey, he was the son of the late John MacGregor Baird, Jr. and Beatrice Lucretia Sprague. He is survived by his wife Charlene Swears Baird and his sister  Janet Baird ’58 (Richard ’54)… Continue Reading →

Mary Yeomans ’56 Hobeck, age 82, of Holland, passed away peacefully Monday, October 24, 2016 at Maple Leaf Health Care Center in Manchester, New Hampshire after living with Parkinson’s for 10 years. Mary graduated from Holland High School and attended both Hope College in Holland and National Teacher’s College in Evanston. She was an elementary… Continue Reading →

Ethel Peelen ’57 Van Istendal 81, of Louisville, KY went home to be with her Lord on November 29, 2016. She was so happy to be with her family in Holland, Mi. for the last month of her life. Her perseverance, strong hope in Jesus, amazing attitude of gratitude enabled her to endure nine cancers. Ethel… Continue Reading →

Thomas Harris, Jr. ’58 was born on September 23, 1932, to Thomas James Harris, Sr. and Elizabeth Gillespie Harris, in the small coal mining town of Blakely, Pennsylvania. His father was a coal miner, and his mother was a homemaker. Tom’s family relocated to Philadelphia when he was a child. That is where he and his… Continue Reading →