Heritage

Margerie VandenBurg Adams ex’50
March 9, 2017, Alexandria, Ky.

Gerald Alsum ex’49
Nov. 9, 2016, Brandon, Wis.

Mel Aukeman ex’66
Oct. 22, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Joann Vroom Austin ex’54
Nov. 24, 2017, Raleigh, N.C.

Frank Baarda ‘65
Sept. 2, 2016, Beamsville, Ontario

Virgil Bartman ‘59
Dec. 3, 2017, Grandville, Mich.

William Berkhof ‘60
Oct. 27, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Ruth Berkompas ‘48
Sept. 13, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Arthur Besteman ‘55
Oct. 1, 2017, Wyoming, Mich.

Harold Bode ‘51
Nov. 26, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Harry Boonstra ‘60
Oct. 23, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

David Bosscher ‘52
Oct. 19, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Judith Brunger Bouma ‘64
March 15, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mary LaGrand Bouma ‘57
Nov. 3, 2017, Kentwood, Mich.

Bernice Colsman Boutwell ex’41
March 20, 2017, Kenora, Ontario

Donald Buiskool ex’48
Nov. 15, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Roland Buteyn ‘51
Nov. 17, 2017, Denver, Colo.

Richard De Bie ex’47
Oct. 13, 2017, Paramount, Calif.

Henry De Bolster ‘60
April 22, 2016, Mount Hope, Ontario

Eugene De Lange ex’54
Sept. 2, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Helen Van Wesep DeVos ‘47
Oct. 18, 2017, Ada, Mich.

Henry Douma ‘57
Dec. 1, 2017, Whiting, N.J.

Martin Elzinga ex’38
March 31, 2018, Ellsworth, Mich.

James Etterbeek ‘49
Jan. 22, 2017, Wyckoff, N.J.

Edith Bolhuis Geerdes ‘52
Aug. 8, 2017, Monticello, Iowa

Ebel Geertsema ‘66
Feb. 20, 2017, Mallorytown, Ontario

Henry Gort ex’48
Sept. 17, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

Andrew Haagsma ‘52
Nov. 23, 2017, Grandville, Mich.

Alberta Schemper Hageman ex’47
Oct. 6, 2017, Denver, Colo.

Joanne Muiderman Hale ex’49
May 15, 2017, Sacramento, Calif.

Herman Hiemstra ex’51
Oct. 3, 2017, Belmond, Iowa

Charles Hoytema ‘60
Jan. 9, 2017, Burlington, Ontario

Raleigh Huizinga ex’59
July 5, 2017, Bradenton, Fla.

Marvin Jager ‘57
Sept. 27, 2017, Washington, N.H.

Herman Jongsma ‘56
Sept. 29, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

Herman Keizer ‘65
Dec. 22, 2017, Caledonia, Mich.

Simon Kistemaker ‘54
Sept. 23, 2017, Largo, Fla.

Sanford Leestma '63

1941–2017

When Sanford Leestma ’63 began teaching at Calvin, there was no computer science department; in fact, there weren’t many computers. By the time he left 35 years later, Leestma and his math department colleague Larry Nyhoff had established a new major and written most of its supporting textbooks.

“A PhD mathematician, Sandy was a lifelong learner who retrained in computer science mid-career,” said Joel Adams, a former colleague of Leestma’s. “He served as department chair for many years and was a model servantleader, regularly taking on the tasks no one else wanted to do.”

Leestma died after an extended illness on Nov. 1, 2017. He was 76.

Describing the early days of computer science at Calvin, Leestma, at his retirement, said, “It was becoming increasingly clear that computers would play an important role in science and mathematics. So we said, ‘It’s time for us to offer some courses in this.’ Well early on there were some who thought that wasn’t appropriate—that computer science, whatever else it was, wasn’t mathematics, at least not the kind most mathematicians like.”

Leestma and Nyhoff took on the role of teaching this unchartered course. The duo would go on to author numerous textbooks in the burgeoning field. “These texts were bestsellers, selling hundreds of thousands of copies, bringing Calvin College to the attention of multitudes nationwide,” said Adams.

Leestma is survived by his wife, Marjory; children Michelle (Rudy) Mulder, Sanford (Lori) Leestma, and Michael (Andrea) Leestma; and eight grandchildren.

Herman Kok ‘50
Oct. 19, 2016, Orland Park, Ill.

Herman Konynenbelt ‘59
April 15, 2017, Lethbridge, Ontario

Preston Kool ‘53
Jan. 5, 2018, Battle Creek, Mich.

Sanford Leestma ‘63
Nov. 16, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Konrad Marcus ‘52
Oct. 30, 2017, Hudsonville, Mich.

Martin Martinus ‘41
Jan. 17, 2018, West Olive, Mich.

Carol Clark May ‘55
Sept. 24, 2017, Rio Rancho, Texas

Adrian Moerman ex’50
Nov. 14, 2017, Portage, Mich.

Calvin Niewenhuis ‘53
Oct. 8, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jelle Nutma ‘55
May 6, 2017, Grimsby, Ontario

Eunice Huizenga Odom ‘51
Oct. 29, 2017, Wheeler, Texas

Robert Olree ‘65
Oct. 19, 2017, Troy, Mich.

Ruth Klosterman Overbeck ‘48
Dec. 6, 2017, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Alyce Smith Peterson ‘56
Nov. 22, 2017, Glen Arbor, Mich.

Raymond Prins ‘50
Jan. 16, 2018, Fremont, Mich.

Constance Hoekstra Recker ex’46
Jan. 20, 2018, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Carl Reitsma ‘49
Jan. 7, 2018, Downers Grove, Ill.

Michael Reitsma ‘66
May 12, 2017, Calgary, Alberta

William Reus ‘50
Sept. 26, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Fannie Bloemendaal Riemersma ‘48
Jan. 22, 2017, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Kenneth Ryskamp ‘54
Nov. 15, 2017, Jupiter, Fla.

Lorraine Vanderwall Scott ex’55
May 5, 2017, Fremont, Mich.

Irene Bylsma Sheng ‘61
Nov. 10, 2017, Redlands, Calif.

Howard Spaan ‘44
Oct. 19, 2017, Beaverton, Ore.

Agnes Steegstra ex’39
Dec. 30, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

John VandenBerg '46

1919–2017

Referred to as “the grand architect of Calvin College,” John VandenBerg served his alma mater for 35 years as an economics professor, dean of faculty, and vice president of academic a¦airs. He died Nov. 11, 2017, at the age of 98.

VandenBerg was one of a few key people on the leadership team that purchased Knollcrest Farm in 1957. His leadership there led to the construction of many important infrastructures that now make up the Knollcrest campus, but his former colleagues say his commitment to improving the academic infrastructure was most central to his legacy. And that started in 1947 when he became the college’s first economics professor with a PhD to teach at Calvin and founded the economics major.

His impact grew as he moved into the second half of his career at Calvin as the dean of faculty and vice president of academic a¦airs in 1964.

And while his accomplishments are many, the way he went about this work earned him the most respect from his colleagues, modeling a deep appreciation for the college’s mission.

“He worked to build up the faculty and o¦erings at Calvin so Calvin could better prepare students for Christian service in the world, and to be of influence in a broader arena,” said George Monsma Jr., professor of economics emeritus.

VandenBerg is survived by his children, Mary (James) Speyer, Patricia VandenBerg (Julian Olf), Jack (Mary Lyn) VandenBerg, and J. David (Betsey) VandenBerg; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marian.

Joan Walters Treffers ex’61
Nov. 9, 2017, Zeeland, Mich.

Michael Tulp ‘62
June 29, 2017, Orillia, Ontario

Joanne De Vries Van Baren ex’57
Dec. 4, 2017, Crete, Ill.

Elizabeth Hagedoorn Vande Guchte ex’52
Jan. 15, 2018, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Vanden Berg ‘46
Nov. 11, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jack Vander Wal ‘56
Aug. 26, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

Hazel Claerbout Vande Wall ex’45
March 27, 2017, Cedar Grove, Wis.

Catherine Borduin Van Dyke ex’49
Nov. 26, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

Dorothy De Boer Van Dyken ‘55
Dec. 9, 2017, Jenison, Mich.

Melvin Van Farowe ‘49
Oct. 30, 2017, Marne, Mich.

Duane Vedders ex’63
Oct. 10, 2017, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Yvonne Vinkemulder ‘52
April 17, 2017, Penney Farms, Fla.

Arline Baker Vogel ‘47
April 15, 2017, New Providence, N.J.

Glenda Vander Klay Welmers ‘61
Sept. 30, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Raymond Westra ‘57
July 24, 2017, Fort Valley, Ga.

Leonard Wilkins ‘51
Dec. 19, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Donna Bouwkamp Wilkinson ‘48
Aug. 9, 2017, Venice, Fla.

Cornelius Witt ‘59
Dec. 14, 2017, Holland, Mich.

Esther Gilder Wood ex’54
Dec. 9, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Edwin Zylstra ex’47
July 23, 2017, Westmont, Ill.

1960's

July 23, 2017, Westmont, Ill.
Dec. 2, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1970's

Larry Bruining ex’78
Aug. 30, 2017, Byron Center Mich.

William Buthker ‘79
Nov. 18, 2017, Muskegon, Mich.

William Dubois ‘74
July 28, 2017, Stanwood, Mich.

Jeffrey Gibbs ‘76
Oct. 18, 2017, Arlington, Texas

Carl Haan ex’78
Oct. 24, 2017, Lynden, Wash.

Sandra Kerkstra-Goodin ex’77
Sept. 1, 2017, Grandville, Mich.

Jackie Hieminga Marsh ‘70
Sept. 8, 2017, Ballwin, Mo.

Theodore Peters ‘70
Jan 8. 2018, Marne, Mich.

1908's

Valerie Westerbeek Burkhart ‘84
Oct. 11, 2017, Caledonia, Mich.

Aleda Greydanus Knol ex’81
Nov. 15, 2017, East Lansing, Mich.

1990's

Richard Fogarty ‘96
Aug. 25, 2016, Jarrettsville, Md.

Marilyn Terpstra Leisman ‘91
Dec. 6, 2017, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jessica Young Start ‘91
Nov. 28, 2017, Wyoming, Mich.

Ben Van Wyke ‘99
Sept. 23, 2017, Indianapolis, Ind.

2000's

Eric DeBoer ‘02
Aug. 12, 2017, Tucker, Ga.

Spencer Lubben ex’14
Aug. 4, 2017, Pocomoke City, Md.