Spark

A love for west Michigan.

Those five words are central to Rich DeVos’ legacy. DeVos, an alumnus of Calvin, died Sept. 6, 2018, at the age of 92.

“For decades, Rich and [his late wife] Helen lived out their commitment to Christ by contributing to the flourishing of their neighbors in Grand Rapids,” said Calvin president Michael Le Roy. “The city specifically, and the west Michigan area more broadly, are thriving in 2018 in no small part due to their dedication to this community.”

One of the communities Rich and Helen were committed to was their alma mater. Both personally and through their foundation, they expressed their dedication to the Calvin community through funding scholarships for students, supporting centers and institutes, giving toward faculty research, and underwriting lectures and other community events like the January Series.

They also provided major gifts on impressive building projects, including the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex that opened in 2009, providing state-of-the-art athletic, recreation, and wellness facilities, and were lead donors on the DeVos Communication Center, which, in 2002, extended the college’s academic space across the East Beltline.

And while Le Roy is grateful for the difference their generosity has made in the life of Calvin students and faculty to date, he also said Rich and Helen’s impact will be felt for generations to come.

“We are grateful for their longtime support of their alma mater,” said Le Roy. “Their generosity has provided great opportunities for Calvin to live out its mission of equipping students to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.”