Gord TerVeen

After spending only a few moments with Gordon TerVeen, it was easy to see that his faith in Jesus Christ was the cornerstone on which his life was built. He was outgoing with a great sense of humor and a servant’s heart that was always content to remain in the background rather than be in the spotlight. Together with the love of his life, Doris, Gord established a family that blossomed to include the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who will proudly carry on his timeless legacy. A man of great character, strong moral convictions, and sound wisdom, Gord will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

The 1920s were a great time to be an American. Radios, affordable cars, and motion pictures in both color and sound were signs of the time while baseball came alive with legends like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. It was in 1928 that Rence and Adriana (Poley) TerVeen were blessed with the birth of the son they named Gordon W. on September 10th. Born and raised primarily in Grand Rapids, Michigan, alongside his older brother, Bob, he lived on the West Side where he experienced a fairly typical upbringing. As a young boy Gord enjoyed the outdoors and was energetic, lighthearted, and fun-loving.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the TerVeen family moved around as they went wherever Gord’s father could find work in the construction industry. He started kindergarten in Iowa as that is where they called home at the time. They held fast to their faith, however, and the family business, TerVeen Builders, that was established by Gord’s grandfather carried them through the depression years. Gord attended Pine Street Christian School and went on to graduate from Grand Rapids Christian High School while his family attended Broadway Christian Reformed Church. As a teenager, he started working as a service station attendant at Ringelberg's Garage, and he later delivered milk. Once he was old enough, Gord joined his older brother and father in the business and became a skilled craftsman. Although he could perform any of the jobs on site, Gord excelled at the fine finish work as he was very detail oriented by nature. He was also very personable and was effortlessly able to make their customers happy.

Life was forever changed for Gord when he met the young girl of his dreams while at Grand Haven beach with some friends. Her name was Doris Raterink, and their paths crossed again a few weeks later. It was at that time that Gord asked her out for dessert, marking the beginning of a love story that would span 65 years. Deeply in love, they were married on November 17, 1949, at 3rd Reformed Church and enjoyed a honeymoon in Washington, D.C. Together Gord and Doris welcomed three children into their hearts and home, Judy, Wayne, and Bruce.

Although his work kept him busy, Gord looked forward to family time. Early vacations were spent at a cottage in Northern Michigan. While there Gord loved playing with the kids and fishing, too, as he was an avid fisherman throughout his life. It was not uncommon for him to chase his kids around the yard, play hide and seek with them, or to turn out the lights on them as he was truly a kid at heart. Although he was rather firm with discipline Gord mellowed out as the years went by, but his children certainly respected him, as did his grandchildren later in life, because they didn’t want to disappoint him in any way.

With a career spent in the family business, Gord worked alongside his father and then his brother for many years. He enjoyed his work and loved driving around Grand Rapids to point out the places he had built through the years. Gord also helped renovate several houses and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

As his family and friends can attest, Gord was rarely still. After coming home from work he usually ate supper, took a cat nap, and then got busy, often going out to work on the yard since he liked having a manicured lawn. Together Gord and Doris loved to travel, usually with family and friends. They frequently camped with their children and grandchildren as well. Gord and his wife went all over the country having visited numerous national parks and seeing much of the splendor of Northern Michigan. Later in life they spent their winters in Florida. Gord loved to read, mainly American history and westerns such as those from Louis L’Amour.

It was easy to see by the way he lived his life that Gord was a man of unwavering faith. He and Doris were charter members of Riverside Christian Reformed Church, and he helped build the structure of the church as well. He served within the church in a variety of ways through the years including as a deacon and elder many times, as a cadet counselor, and also on various committees.

In later years Gord continued to delight in his growing family. He loved when his children and grandchildren were around. In fact, he thought that the hustle and bustle of it all was perfect. Gord and Doris watched their grandchildren whenever they could, and he loved taking them for donuts on Saturday mornings followed by a trip to places like the fish ladder, the airport observation deck, or Toys “R” Us. He, along with his brother Bob, closed the business when he was 65. With a remaining desire to work, Gord delivered trailers and motor homes to customers for his son Bruce.

The things to love about Gord were numerous. He was available to give advice, but only if he was asked for it as at that point he didn’t shy away from telling it like he saw it. Of course everything was always delivered in a loving and diplomatic way. Others appreciated his spontaneity since things like a simple Sunday drive could turn into a three hour trip to Traverse City for lunch, only to return to Grand Rapids in time for church. Even as he struggled with health issues, Gord remained strong and savored having more time with family and friends.

With unending love for those around him, Gordon TerVeen was a blessing in every way. He worked hard, yet he lived fully in his time off, and his fun-loving personality made him such a joy to be around. Gord was an excellent father and grandfather who adored his family. His life exemplified what it means to be a man of God. Gord’s memory will be forever cherished.

Gordon W. TerVeen, age 85 of Grand Rapids, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on February 7, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Doris; their children Judy and Ben Tol, Wayne and Jill TerVeen, Bruce and Kathy TerVeen; grandchildren Brian (Amy) Tol, Jason (Stephanie) Tol, Christopher (Megan) TerVeen, Meredith (Ryan) Lowman, Jonathan (Hannah) TerVeen, Jessica, Justin and Jenna TerVeen; 8 great grandchildren, his brother, Robert (Ruth) TerVeen and several nieces and nephews. Gord worked in the family business, TerVeen Builders until retirement. Gord was a charter member of Riverside Christian Reformed Church, 602 Comstock Blvd, where the service to celebrate his life will be held on Thursday, February 13 at 12:30 PM. Friends are invited to visit with his family on Wednesday from 5-8 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield. For those who wish, memorial contributions to help defray the cost of dialysis treatments are appreciated. To read more about his life, to share a favorite memory or to sign his guestbook, visit www.lifestorynet.com