Legendary Calvin English Professor Passes Away at 95

February 8, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

Shortly after his retirement from Calvin College in 1975, professor of English
emeritus John J. Timmerman took on another project: a centennial history of
the school he attended and then taught at for 30 years. Promises to Keep was
the result of his research and writing, a book that he once described as not so
much about an institution, but "primarily about people." It was a fitting
description for Timmerman always found people fascinating.

The legendary English professor passed away on February 6 after several years
of failing health. He was 95.

A 1931 graduate of Calvin, Timmerman taught at what is now Grand Rapids
Christian High School for seven years prior to joining the Calvin faculty in
1945. He already had a master's from the University of Michigan and while at
Calvin he completed his Ph.D. at Northwestern University. His dissertation was
on Leslie Stephen, the father of Virginia Woolf. A 1978 Grand Rapids Press
profile of Timmerman noted that Stephen left a lasting impression on Timmerman.
 He was a great stylist, a master user of the English language and a biographer
- three accomplishments that stood high on Timmerman's list of desirable
qualities.

Good teaching was also something Timmerman admired. And he was a good teacher,
although he found it sometimes to be hard work.

In an essay he wrote after retirement he recalled the "noble profession" that
was his for 40 years.

"One of my college teachers [at Calvin] once said in class that he enjoyed
teaching so much that he sometimes felt as if he should be paying for the
privilege," wrote Timmerman, who then added, in dry Timmerman fashion, this
addendum: "I have never been seized by such euphoria. Teaching is no effortless
joy ride. I have felt at times as if I were prodding a tortoise for fifty
minutes."

By some estimates more than 10,000 Calvin students had Timmerman during his
tenure. And many of those would not concur with his understated assessment of
his teaching.

When Timmerman won Calvin's prestigious Faith and Learning Award in 1997 a
former student who later became a colleague recalled Timmerman's grace in the
classroom.

"No one in my career gave me more classroom ammunition than Tim did,"
remembered Richard Tiemersma, who remained one of Timmerman's closest friends
and fondest admirers. "Tim was my model, from the very first class I took with
him to my final lecture at Calvin."

Former Calvin president William Spoelhof was a classmate of Timmerman both at
Eastern Academy in New Jersey and at Calvin from 1927 to 1931 and once called
his longtime friend "one of the truly great teachers" in Calvin's history.

Timmerman also was a link to a great generation at Calvin. As a student he was
editor of Chimes, the weekly student newspaper. Among those who worked on
Chimes with Timmerman were Frederick Manfred, who went on to become a
well-known Western novelist; David and Meindert DeJong, both of whom became
well-known American writers; and Peter DeVries, regarded in the 1970s as one of
the country's finest comic novelists. Timmerman also had as students such
well-know Calvin alumni as writer William Brashler and screenwriter and
director Paul Schrader.

Timmerman was preceded in death in 1994 by Carolyn, his wife of 56 years. He
is survived by four children, Lucarol, John, Miriam and Luverne.

Funeral services including committal will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the
Zaagman Memorial Chapel with Rev. Scott Hoezee officiating.

Two images of Dr. John Timmerman are online.
For a web-friendly version, see:
http://www.calvin.edu/news/photos/faculty/timmerman_john.jpg

For a print version, see:
http://www.calvin.edu/news/photos/faculty/timmerman_john_300dpi.jpg
Received on Sun Feb 8 17:04:08 2004