Shirley Hovinga

Shirley Hovinga was an exceptionally generous wife, mother, and grandmother. A lover of all people, she found great happiness putting the needs of others ahead of her own and lived a lifetime of selflessly giving of her time and resources to those in need. Blessed by her warm spirit and gentle ways, there is no doubt that she will be deeply missed will be fondly remembered by all who knew and loved her.

Shirley’s story begins in the year of 1940. The effects of the Great Depression were finally beginning to ease, and the nation was optimistic about the future. The entertainment industry was booming with the release of major motion pictures and jazz music on the rise. During the years of FDR and his New Deal program, her parents, Henry and Grace [Tuinstra] Boss welcomed, Shirley Louise, home on October 22nd in the small rural village of Martin in Allegan County, Michigan. Born the fifth child out of six children, her birth brought them much joy and happiness.

Growing up the family shared a house in the village and helped manage the livestock on their small family farm. Shirley’s father was a builder and owned two local lumber stores nearby. She and her siblings were very close and enjoyed playing with their cousins and the local neighborhood kids when they were young. As a family, they enjoyed vacationing to visit their relatives and enjoyed trips down to Indiana to spent time with their grandparents. When the summer weather hit, they went to Gun Lake to picnic and swim on many occasions. A nature lover, Shirley was very fond of going to the beach and on family camping trips!

Times were simpler back then and Shirley fondly reflected on those years sharing a special memory when the family was able to watch television together for the first time when another member of their family had loaned them one for a few days. She and her father were so enamored by their new device, he went out and bought one of their very own! Studious and well-behaved, school came easy to Shirley. She attended East Martin Christian School during her elementary years, and later graduated with the Class of 1958 from Martin Public High School. As a high school student, Shirley enjoyed performing in the musicals sharing her talent as an alto singer and also enjoyed playing the piano.

After high school, she had her heart set on nursing school and received nursing training at the Pine Rest Christian Hospital. A natural with people, Shirley used her education to eventually become a fully licensed LPN. In her free time, she continued her love of camping and played on a bowling league with her sisters. Not to be forgotten was the meeting of David Hovinga in the year 1966. Shirley’s friend, Marilyn Johnson introduced the two of them and after sharing an evening of having dinner and playing cards, the rest was history! Eager to settle down, they joined in marriage on October 27, 1967, at 12th Street Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. As newlyweds, they traveled to the beautiful shoreline of Crystal Lake for a romantic honeymoon. From there, they took a ferry across Lake Michigan to Green Bay, Wisconsin to visit Shirley's sister, Jean. Returning home, Dave and Shirley made their first home together in an apartment at 937 Leonard Street NW in Grand Rapids, MI. After three years, they bought their first and only home at 1009 Crosby NW also in Grand Rapids, where they raised their two wonderful children, Audrey and David Jr. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for the two of them!

As a family, she and Dave often took the kids up to cabins in Irons, Michigan on the Little Manistee River and to a cabin near Ludington on Blue Lake. They raised their children with a strong Christian faith in their home church at 12th street Christian Reformed later West Leonard Christian Reformed where she enjoyed singing in the choir. In the mid-1970s, Shirley became ill with a rare lung disease called Lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Despite her doctors’ expectations, Shirley seemed to thrive during these years. She continued her work as a nurse at the Edison Christian Health Center while David worked as a plumber. Shirley never let her illness define her or prevent her and Dave from enjoying their retirement years. They cherished their years of traveling to Florida and continued their love of camping. When Dave became ill in 1987, Shirley tenderly cared for him over the next twenty years until his health began to fade. He passed in 2007. Shirley was fiercely independent in the years following his death. She was a no-nonsense hard worker and remained deeply devoted to her Christian faith. Shirley’s heart was content any time she was surrounded by her family. They were her greatest treasure! Blessed by her grace and compassion, may her loved ones feel her presence this Christmastime when they hear her favorite hymn, Handel’s Messiah and find comfort in knowing that she is home with her Lord and Savior.

Shirley Louise Hovinga [Boss], age 79 of Grand Rapids, MI, passed away on Wednesday December 18, 2019 while in the company of her family. She was born in the fall of 1940 in Martin, MI to the late Henry and Grace Boss. Along with her parents, Shirley was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, David Hovinga who died in 2007, her son-in-law John Post and her brother Jay Boss. She is survived by her children, Audrey Post and David Jr. (Lisa) Hovinga; grandchildren, Simon, Samuel and Lucy Post and Henry and Casimira Hovinga; siblings, Jean Voorhees, Ethel VanderWeide, Dale Boss, Lois Wuis; several nieces, nephews and many dear friends. A service to celebrate Shirley's life will be held on Saturday, December 21, at 11:00 AM at West Leonard Christian Reformed Church, (1053 Leonard St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504) with Pastor Todd Van Ek officiating. Relatives and friends are invited to meet with Shirley’s family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Alt-Shawmut Chapel (2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504) on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 4:00 – 7:00 PM and also on Saturday for one hour prior to the service at church. Shirley will be laid to rest next to her husband in Washington Park Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions in Shirley’s memory may be made to the Edison Christian Life Services, (1000 Edison Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504). To sign her guest book or to leave a memory of Shirley please visit her web page at www.heritagelifestory.com

A service to celebrate Shirley's life will be held on Saturday, December 21, at 11:00 AM at West Leonard Christian Reformed Church, (1053 Leonard St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504) with Pastor Todd Van Ek officiating. Relatives and friends are invited to meet with Shirley’s family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home (2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504) on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 4:00 – 7:00 PM and also on Saturday for one hour prior to the service at church. Shirley will be laid to rest next to her husband in Washington Park Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions in Shirley’s memory may be made to the Edison Christian Life Services, (1000 Edison Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504). To sign her guest book or to leave a memory of Shirley please visit her web page at www.heritagelifestory.com