Adrian "Ed" DeVries

Some people wander through life applying minimal effort, with no true focus or discipline. Adrian DeVries certainly wasn't one of them. "Anything worth doing, is worth doing well", was the credo Adrian lived by, and applied that motto to every facet of his life, from his career, to his family - a motto he practiced as well as preached. Today his lessons live on in those who knew him.

Adrian's story began on a warm summer day in 1916, in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Those were tumultuous times around the globe, as a polio epidemic would kill more than 6,000 people in this country, and the sinking of the Lusitania pushed us slowly into World War I. Yet on June 10, 1916, George and Josephine (Bush) DeVries found reason for hope, with the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Adrian.

Adrian was the middle of five children, joining older brothers Ben and Millard, and younger siblings Catherine and Calvin. Adrian's father was a Dutch immigrant who came to the U.S. as a boy, while his mother was raised in McBain, Michigan. The family lived on Caulfield Avenue, where Adrian was born in the "little" house.

As a young boy, Adrian displayed a keen intellect and an analytical mind, and excelled at thinking games. He entered contests in word building, spelling and math, and won several cash prizes, as well as a radio, a prized bicycle, and even six box seat tickets to a Tigers game in 1938!

Adrian always loved numbers, even as a boy, and he loved keeping a journal, as well. He logged all the trips on his bicycle for the first 6,000 miles! When he was 17, he began his journaling in earnest, writing in detail of his goals, successes and expenses in his small, perfect penmanship.

Adrian graduated from South High School in 1932 at the age of 16, and began working a number of jobs, including working as a mail carrier for the Post Office. By 1937, he had saved enough money to enroll in the University of Michigan.

In 1942, the country now embroiled in World War II, Ed was called to serve in the U.S. Army, where he served as a mail orderly for the 117th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron, serving in North Africa, Italy, South France and Germany. He earned the rank of T4 Sergeant, and even corresponded with Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the future President, regarding mail service and their shared love for math probabilities.

Adrian was discharged in the summer of '45, and sadly, his mother died in March the following year. In 1947, he met and married a wonderful woman named Ruth Hoekstra Valk. The newlyweds honeymooned in Niagara Falls, and settled in Wyoming Park.

Ruth brought her daughter Faith into the marriage, and Ruth and Adrian had two more children of their own, Brian and Sally. The growing family moved twice in the early years, once to make way for US-131, before settling in the north end of Grand Rapids.

Adrian provided for his family by first working as an upholstery cutter for Fine Arts Furniture, as well as moonlighting at the post office. He worked hard ("Anything worth doing ..." remember), and eventually landed a fulltime job at the post office as a clerk in the 1960's. His father moved in with Adrian and Ruth in 1958 due to poor health and died there the following February.

Adrian worked hard to provide everything his family needed, and pored over financial sections of the newspaper each day as a hobby and a way to improve their standing, always striving to meet the lofty goals he set for their wellbeing.

Adrian relied on Ruth to do much of the parenting, and she really ran the household. She was the perfect compliment to his personality, so outgoing and talkative. Adrian once joked she did enough talking for both of them, and if he listened to everything she said, he'd never have time for anything else! Adrian was a quiet, reserved father. He encouraged his children to attend college. Though not one to openly share his feelings, his family always knew he loved them and wanted the best for them.

Adrian retired from the post office in 1983, after 20 years of dedicated service. He was the consummate professional, who took his job very seriously, always devising new ways to sort the mail more effectively. He even made a point to visit the streets he wasn't familiar with, to better perform his duties.

After he retired, Adrian found more time for his many interests. He was a competitive person and loved board games and enjoyed bowling. He rolled his best series ever in a church league match against his son, besting him 502-480! Though he seldom spoke openly of his faith, Adrian was a devoted servant of the Lord, and a 50-year member of Plainfield Methodist Church, where he was very active. He helped produce the weekly bulletins, offered transportation to members, and worked the food pantry, among many other activities. In his retirement, he also enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, and loved his conversations with them.

At the very core of his person, family was always important to Adrian. He cared for both of his parents until their deaths and looked after his brothers and sister from a distance as well. He also lovingly cared for Ruth, who developed health problems later in life. He remained by her side, even moving to an assisted living center at Covenant Village for the last three months of her life before she died in 2001. After Ruth died, Adrian moved back home on Halena, remaining there until his own health problems required him to return to Covenant Village in early 2005. Adrian died January 6, 2007, at the age of 90.

Adrian was a remarkable man, a man with a keen intellect and a brilliantly analytical mind. He was a model of integrity, and character, and always believed in doing what was right, and in doing it to the best of his ability. Anything worth doing, remember. That is Adrian's legacy, a legacy of doing his best, a legacy that lives on today in all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Josephine DeVries; his beloved wife of 53 years, Ruth; brothers: Benjamin, Millard and Calvin; his sister, Catherine Gebben; and his grandson, Aaron Robbins. Adrian is survived by his children Faith and Bryan Robbins of WA; Brian and Verna DeVries of Belmont and Sally DeVries of Mt. Clemens; 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He faithfully served in the Army during WW II. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 10 at 11 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE where relatives and friends are invited to meet with his family on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Interment in Fairplains Cemetery. For those who wish, memorial contributions to St. Jude Childrens' Research Hospital are appreciated. You may read more about Adrian's life, share a favorite photo or memory or sign the register by visiting www.lifestorynet.com