Timothy Werkema

He was a man happiest when life gave him room to enjoy the outdoors, gather his family around a campfire, play a game of pool, or simply spend time with the people he loved. He could be a little gruff and even cantankerous at times, but those who knew him best understood the good heart beneath that famous white beard.

Tim began his life in the Spring of 1954 when America was enjoying the prosperity of the postwar years. Families were growing, television was finding its way into more homes, and a new sound called rock and roll was beginning to play on the radio. Drive-in theaters were emerging in popularity, providing a fun place for friends and family to gather and enjoy entertainment.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Donald J. and Shirley (Taylor) Werkema were busy with a changing world of their own as they welcomed another son into their growing family. On April 10th, Timothy John was welcomed into a house already bustling with siblings ready for him to grow big enough to become a built-in playmate. In time, the Werkema family grew to include seven children, five boys and two girls, with Tim in the middle of the boys.

The Werkema family lived on the west side of Grand Rapids, and the kids attended Kenowa Hills Public Schools. Their home witnessed a fair amount of roughhousing, but also provided ample opportunities to learn how to play and be social with others. Like most brothers growing up together, there was also plenty of mischief along the way, though some of those stories were probably better left between them. Visiting the local roller rink proved to be a favorite pastime for Tim. His dad loved to skate and passed the pastime along to his son.

As Tim matured, he didn’t have to look far for his first job. At the age of 16, he began working at a place where he already spent much of his time, Woodland Roller Rink! He soon added a second job at Cook’s Restaurant to his busy schedule.

Work kept him plenty busy, but Tim found time to have a little fun too. He and his girlfriend, Beatrice, spent many evenings at drive-in restaurants and theaters, enjoying dinner, movies, and each other’s company. The couple went from dinner and movies to wedding bells when they married in 1972.

Soon, Beatrice was saying her goodbyes as Tim enlisted in the Army. He served for four years, including about 13 months in Korea. Tim didn't talk much about his time in the service, keeping many of those experiences private. During these years, life also brought an important new role when Tim and Beatrice welcomed their daughter, Jennifer.

In time, Tim and Beatrice went their separate ways. Tim continued to surround himself with friends and family, and it was through those family connections that he came to know Arletha, his brother's sister-in-law. The two enjoyed one another's companionship and made it official when they wed in 1981. Their marriage brought Tammy and Tim Jr. into Tim's life, making him a father of three.

Their growing family enjoyed many camping excursions, giving Tim plenty of opportunities to soak in his love of the outdoors. Fishing and hunting were favorite pastimes, and he would find even more space for both later in life. When the family wasn't off on an adventure, home was on Stafford Street on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. Tim worked at Reynolds Metals to help support his family.

On the weekends, you could find Tim making delicious BBQ chicken or pork chops, two of his favorites, for his family to enjoy. He also showed the kids how to make a batch of cookies without even a hint of help from the oven. No-bake cookies were a family favorite, and the kids happily joined in making them. Once everyone was fed, they might gather around the pool table, where Tim would take his shots with his cue and teach his kids a thing or two about how to line things up just so. Or Tim might take everyone to the roller rink, just as his dad had done with him so many years before.

Some paths in life lead to places we might not expect, and after his marriage to Arletha ended in divorce, Tim found himself making a new home at Indian Valley Campground. There, he worked in maintenance and helped with outdoor activities, including canoe and kayak trips along the Thornapple River. It was a place where he felt at home in the best of ways. Better yet, it was a wonderful spot for the kids to visit, with plenty for everyone to do! Tim made sure no one went hungry, filling their bellies with his homemade chili, which earned its fair share of appearances in campground chili cook-offs, or cooking dinner together over the fire.

After seven years of calling the campground home, Tim found some land of his own in Cedar Springs. So, he packed up his belongings and headed north to a new spot where he could enjoy one of his favorite pastimes like never before, hunting right in his very own backyard! His love for pool traveled with him and led to so many good conversations with people who started as strangers but left as friends. The pool table was where Tim found his people gathered, and he was never shy about sharing his fair share of stories between shots. Somewhere along the way, his friends (new and old) began calling Tim by the nickname “Pork Chop.”

He was generally a very happy-go-lucky guy who possessed a good sense of humor and enjoyed the company of others. When he found solo free time, he would fill it with some entertaining television shows which typically consisted of an old western, “Star Trek” or maybe even “The Price Is Right.”

He was a big enough fan of the game show that during an extended trip with his son, Tim Jr., the two even attended a taping! That wasn't the only highlight of their adventure. Over the course of more than three weeks, they covered countless miles together, making stops that included Havasu, the California coast, Sturgis, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The two created memories neither would ever forget.

One role Tim especially seemed to enjoy was that of being a grandfather. He loved his grandchildren dearly and took time to enjoy their world with them. Tim also liked to make sure he had a little something waiting whenever they stopped by, perhaps a piece of candy or a special gift at Christmas or on their birthday.

Family remained important to Tim throughout his life. For a couple of years, he even made his home in Washington near his sisters, enjoying the opportunity to have family close by.

Health issues became part of Tim's life beginning around 2003 and brought new challenges as the years passed. For a man who had spent so much of his life outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, and enjoying the freedom to come and go, those limitations weren't always easy. Tim still had the good heart his family knew well, though he could certainly have his gruff and cantankerous moments too. Eventually, he moved to Greenville, where he could receive some additional help with his care and comfort.

On September 2, 2026, Tim's family said goodbye to a man who had filled 72 years with plenty of stories worth sharing. For those who knew and loved him, memories of Tim can be found in so many familiar places: around a pool table between shots, beside a crackling campfire with something good cooking nearby, at a roller rink where one generation followed another, or simply in the company of family with a cold Coca-Cola in his hand (and perhaps an extra one for a grandchild).

Tim was good-hearted, happy-go-lucky, sometimes a little gruff, and always unmistakably himself. Whether you knew him as Tim, Dad, Grandpa, brother, friend, or simply “Pork Chop,” knowing him meant having a story of your own to tell.

Timothy John Werkema, age 72, passed away September 2, 2026. He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald J. Werkema Sr. and Shirley Boersma; and his brothers, Rick Werkema and Larry Werkema.

Tim is survived by his children: Jennifer (James) DeVries, Tammy (Joseph) Fountain, and Tim J. Werkema Jr.; several grandchildren; his brothers and sisters Don (Linda) Werkema Jr., John (Cheryl) Werkema, Jammie Brock and Lynda Deulen; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Tim’s family invites all to come and celebrate his life on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield Ave NE, where friends can gather from 3-5 and a service will begin at 5 PM. To read more about Tim, to share a memory or photo, or to sign his guestbook, visit www.heritagelifestory.com