Kay De Voogd

With a beautiful smile and a warm heart, Kay Marilyn De Voogd lived a life rich in family and faith. Kay was loving, kind, and fun. A good Christian woman, she greeted each day as a gift and each person as a friend. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend whose joyful devotion to those she loved was so evident. Cherished by many, Kay will long live in the hearts of those who were blessed to know her.

Despite the obvious gloom of the Great Depression, the power of hope undulated in the hearts of many. With a natural drive to not just endure but thrive in the face of uncertainty, the nation continued to put one foot in front of the other to build a better future. Nowhere was there more hope than in the home of Elmer and Gertrude (Penning) Lammers as they welcomed their daughter Kay into their family on December 11, 1933.

Born in a time of struggle and having grown up in the wake of WWII, like many in her generation, Kay's early years were firmly centered in the values of family, faith, and community. While her father worked at the camera shop he owned on Leonard Street, Kay's mother managed the family's home on Widdicomb Avenue. The oldest of the Lammers' three children, there were only 16 months that separated her and her sister Mary, who was followed by their little brother Tom. The family attended Seventh Reformed Church and enjoyed family holidays and reunions with the extended Lammers Clan. It was a treasured family tradition to picnic on the shores of Lake Michigan, and many family vacations were also enjoyed at the cottage with the Smoes family. When Kay's father died at 57, her mom went to work for Kent County. She worked for both the road commission and area libraries.

Kay attended Harrison Park Elementary and proudly graduated from Union High School with the class of 1952. She then attended Grand Rapids Junior College for two years. From her very earliest days, Kay enjoyed singing and participated in choirs her whole life. She also played piano and enjoyed knitting and riding on the back of Tom's motorcycle, much to her father's dismay!

While her family spent the day at the Koert's Family Farm, Kay had the good fortune of meeting Jack Fifer. Shortly after this fateful first meeting, Jack was called to serve his country in the United States Marine Corp. For the next two years, as Jack served his two-year commitment, Kay happily corresponded with him. Upon returning home, Kay and Jack officially began their eighteen-month courtship. On December 29, 1955, the happy couple was married at Seventh Reformed Church.

After returning from their honeymoon in the Great Smokey Mountains, the newlyweds settled into their first home, an apartment on Alpine Street. Jack worked for an asphalt company and eventually became an electrician. Over the next 11 years, Kay and Jack were blessed to welcome four children into their family. Their first two children, Sue and Stephen, were born while they lived on Alpine. As the family grew, they bought their home on the Northeast Grand Rapids on Botsford Avenue NE, where Scott joined the family. Shari joined the family after they moved to a larger home on Widdicomb across from Kay's mother.

Sadly, at the age of 40, Jack was given the grim diagnosis of stage four lymphoma. At the time, the doctors anticipated he had about six months to live. With steadfast determination to work through the side effects, he began treatments. With Kay's encouragement and support, despite becoming terribly sick, Jack never missed a day of work and was eventually declared cancer-free. Jack and Kay were blessed to share 25 more years together after his original cancer diagnosis before he died of a massive stroke on September 9, 1996.

After Jack's cancer diagnosis, Kay went to work as the church secretary for Seventh Church. Her job allowed her to be right in the middle of all ministries at the church. She was wholly devoted to her job and the church; the lines between work and volunteering were never quite clear. One of the pastors she served declared that she was the best secretary he ever worked with. She worked at Seventh Church for 25 years.

In the spring of 1999, a friend of Kay's encouraged their mutual friend Richard De Voogd to reach out and call Kay. Instantly smitten the pair courted for six months and married on December 11, 1999, at Seventh Church with 250 guests in attendance. The happy couple celebrated with a reception at Watermark Country Club and honeymooned at Rich's cottage in Montague. Rich allowed Kay the choice of where she wanted them to live, her condo, his house, or buy a different house. She chose to move into his house on the south side of Grand Rapids, where they would live for a few years before moving to a condo back on the west side.

A humble woman who found much joy in the simple things in life, Kay found joy in everything. She sang in choirs her whole life and, as an adult, was a member of a women's fellowship. Before marrying Rich, Kay was the official organizer for a group of ten single ladies. Always quick to share her time and talents in service of others, she also volunteered as a cashier for the New 2 You; An Upscale Thrift Shop that supports Grand Rapids Christian Schools. Her retirement years afforded the additional blessing of travel. Over the years, she and Rich enjoyed taking adventures to Alaska, Newfoundland, and California. For several years they were also able to visit friends in Florida.

Without a doubt, Kay's greatest joy came from her family. She was a loving and supportive mother and a very involved grandparent. Kay supported all of her loved ones in each of their endeavors. She loved attending their events, visiting with one another at Long Lake near Traverse City, and always made sure to send a card to acknowledge their special moments. She was the Hallmark Card Queen! While her horrible card playing and joke-telling were legendary, so was her warmth and care.

It is difficult to imagine life in the absence of Kay's bright presence. May the memories of her joyful spirit and generous heart afford deep comfort. May it also provide comfort to know that with each song we sing, stitch we knit, prayer we offer, and stranger we meet with a warm smile, we celebrate the best of Kay's legacy in our own lives. In this way, we continue to keep her bright spirit shining and inspiring others as she so inspired us.

Kay M. De Voogd of Jenison, MI, Age 86, passed into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, December 27, 2019. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Jack Fifer; and her grandson, Jason Helmus. She is survived by her husband, Richard De Voogd of Jenison; children, Susan Helmus of Jenison, Stephen (Tamara) Fifer of Hudsonville, Scott (Shayne) Fifer of White Cloud, Shari (David) Duthler of Rockford; stepchildren, Deborah (Les) Hardy of Camarillo, CA, Diane (Joel) Vandenberg of Grand Rapids, Jane (David) Lautenbach of Grand Rapids, Richard De Voogd of Grand Rapids, Daniel (Debra) De Voogd of Grand Rapids, Joan (Eric) Spearman of Grand Rapids, Ruth (Mark) Vanderbent of Manhattan, IL; 34 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are her sister, Mary Buist of Grand Rapids; and brother, Tom (Judi) Lammers of Grand Rapids. A funeral service will be held Monday December 30, 2019 at 11 AM at Seventh Reformed Church, 950 Leonard St. NW. Friends may visit with family on Sunday, from 2-5 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW and beginning at 10 AM Monday at church. Interment will be in Washington Park Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to West Side Christian School or Edison Christian Health Center. Please visit Kay's personal web page to read more of her life story, leave a memory or condolence at www.heritagelifestory.com.