Class Year: Sympathy to

Nancy Lane

passed away peacefully on Monday, March 16, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. Born March 4, 1939, in Columbus to Preston and Jean Bostwick Wolfe. Graduate of Columbus School for Girls (1957) and Bryn Mawr College (Bachelor of Arts in History in 1961). She also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Ohio Dominican University. She is preceded… Continue Reading →

William Cohen

Born in Los Angeles, at age 10 William (Bill) Cohen moved with his mother and younger sister to New York City, and thereafter always considered himself a New Yorker. As a youth, his mother sent him to communist youth camps (notably WoChiCa, Workers’ Children’s Camp), and he went on to become part of the Communist… Continue Reading →

Dianna Machiela

She was a graduate of Allegan High School and worked for over 20 years as a Payroll Coordinator for Hope College. Dianna loved the outdoors and spent much of her time biking, kayaking, gardening, camping, and traveling. She and her husband Brian just celebrated 38 years of marriage on July 31st. She is survived by… Continue Reading →

Donna Van Hoven

Donna May (Brumels) Van Hoven, age 87, peacefully went home to be with her Savior early in the morning on Tuesday, June 16 at American House of Holland. She was born at home on July 23, 1932 in Grand Rapids to Bill and Stella Brumels. On June 18, 1954 she married Ron Van Hoven. They… Continue Reading →

Carolyn Bareman

Carolyn Beth Bareman age 95, of Holland, completed her earthly life on Friday, October 9, and now lives eternally in Heaven with her faithful Savior Jesus Christ. She joins her family who preceded her in death, parents, Leonard and Cora Bareman and Sister, Esther, with whom she had shared her home all her life. Carolyn… Continue Reading →

Myra Kohsel

Myra J. Kohsel, age 78 of Holland, passed away Monday, February 22, 2021. Myra was born and raised in Holland, and was a lifelong resident of the area.  She worked for Hope College for over 32 years in a variety of positions, and was a member of Harlem Church.  Myra enjoyed gardening, reading, experimenting with new recipes, but above all… Continue Reading →

Lloyd Meeuwsen

Lloyd Meeuwsen, age 89, of Zeeland, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, November 30, 2020. He is survived by his children, Paul and Karie Meeuwsen, Pat and Reed Navis, Jayne and Del Ritsema, Tom and Sherri Meeuwsen, and Dave and Stacey Meeuwsen; 15 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren;… Continue Reading →

Robert Palma

The family of Robert Palma of Holland, Michigan, who died on Oct. 17, 2020. He was 86. He retired from the Hope College faculty in 1994 as a professor emeritus of religion after teaching at the college since 1966. His courses during his last semester at Hope included Basic Christian Thought, Perspectives on Christ, and… Continue Reading →

Florence Vuurens

Florence “Flo” M. Vuurens, age 87, passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2020. She was born on January 21, 1933, to Frederick and Minnie (Maatman) VanDyke in Holland, MI. Florence worked for several years as a secretary at Hope College and went on to work at Twin Lake United Methodist Church helping with office duties… Continue Reading →

F. Sheldon Wettack

The family of F. Sheldon Wettack, who died on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. He was 82. His time as a chemistry faculty member at Hope ran across seven decades, initially as a professor and later dean from 1967 to 1982, and since 2004 as a visiting professor. In between, his career included serving as dean… Continue Reading →

Emery Blanksma

Emery Blanksma, Jr. age 83, of Holland, passed to his God’s glory on Monday, May 31, 2021. Emery was the son of Emery and Lottie (Delange) Blanksma. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, Robert and Thelma Blanksma and Walter and Susan Blanksma and brother-in-law, David Krebs. He was a member… Continue Reading →

Anne E. Irwin

Anne E. Irwin of Fennville, Michigan, died on Saturday, April 3. She was 79. She was a professor emerita of kinesiology at Hope, having joined the faculty in 1976 and retiring in 2003, and was the college’s first director of women’s athletics. During her time at Hope, the women’s teams grew to 10 — and… Continue Reading →

Elliot A. Tanis

The family of Elliot A. Tanis of Holland, Michigan, who died on Thursday, July 22, 2021. He was 87. A specialist in statistics, he retired from the Hope faculty in 2000 as a professor emeritus of mathematics after teaching at the college since 1965. His tenure included serving interim dean for the natural sciences in… Continue Reading →

Kate Veldink

The family of Kate Veldink of Holland, Michigan, who died on Monday, May 31, 2021. She was 23. Kate graduated from Ready For Life in 2020 and had participated in the 2019 Celebration of Undergraduate Research at Hope and was an honorary member of the Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. Survivors include her parents,… Continue Reading →

Robert Gentenaar

Dr. Robert Gentenaar, who retired as an associate professor of economics emeritus in 2000 after 23 years at the college, died on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. He was 82. He joined the Hope faculty in 1977, and taught courses in macroeconomics, international economics, money and banking, principles of economics, corporate finance and econometrics.  In 1984,… Continue Reading →

Karen Barber-Gibson

Karen J. Barber- Gibson, age 77 of Holland, passed away after a long battle with cancer on October 14, 2021 in her home surrounded by her family. Karen worked at Hope College for over 25 years in the Modern and Classical Languages Department as an office manager. She was an avid reader, aMaster gardener, and… Continue Reading →

Eldon D. Greij

Dr. Eldon D. Greij of Holland, Michigan, a professor emeritus of biology and ornithologist who was also the founding editor and publisher of Birder’s World magazine, died on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. He was 84. Greij served as a member of the Hope biology faculty from 1962 to 2003. He was named the inaugural recipient… Continue Reading →

Tony Muiderman

Tony Muiderman, a professor emeritus of business administration at Hope College who led development of the college’s George F. Baker Scholars Program and advised the group for more than three decades, died on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. He was 94. Muiderman, who was living in Eugene, Oregon, in retirement, joined the faculty in 1977 and retired… Continue Reading →

Rodney F. Boyer

Rodney Frederick Boyer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 25, 1942 to Raymond and Alta Boyer (nee Spader). The family lived in several small towns in Nebraska as his father, a United Methodist minister, moved to different parishes. For several years his parents would take their children to a camping vacation in Estes Park, Colorado. It was there that… Continue Reading →

Ann Mason

AnnMarieMason, age 85, passed away on Friday, October 22, 2021, in her home in Holland, MI, after a short battle with cancer. She was an avid reader, gardener and enjoyed challenging crossword puzzles at every opportunity. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and will be deeply missed by all that knew her. Ann worked… Continue Reading →