Calvin News

On December 30, 2025, Ann Noteboom died following a short illness. She was 102 years old.

Ann Noteboom committed nearly half a century to formally serving in the field of education. It’s a journey that started at the age of 19 when after completing a two-year teaching program at Central College in Pella, Iowa, she became the principal of a small school in Fulton, Illinois.

After completing her bachelor’s degree at Calvin, her master’s degree at Northwestern, and teaching in several Christian secondary schools in Illinois, New Jersey, and Indiana, she returned to her alma mater to teach English and speech (now oral rhetoric).

Wanting to be a part of the full-time faculty, Noteboom spent several summers at Northwestern earning her doctorate. For the next 35 years, Noteboom would serve as a professor in the communication department until her retirement in 1988.

Caring for her students

While her former students valued her teaching them about clear, careful, and beautiful communication, they most appreciated the individual care she showed to each of them.

“Professor Noteboom was a great encourager to me, even though I only had her for one interim class. Still, she managed to teach us a lot about public speaking in that short time,” said Laura Smit, a professor of religion at Calvin. “She discovered that I was planning to go to seminary, and she made a point after that whenever she saw me of stopping to see how I was doing. Later, when I would sometimes preach at her church, she always sought me out after the service and always had thoughtful, encouraging, helping things to say. I also came to realize that there were a lot of people she treated the way she treated me.”

Encouraging beyond the classroom

And that included those who weren’t even in her classes, but crossed her path—like Rick DeVries, who as a young graduate in the 1980s was just starting his career at Calvin working in what was then called FAC Technical Services, supporting sound, lighting, and recording for events in the FAC (now CFAC) auditorium.

“Ann taught in the classrooms just across the hall from my office, so I would often interact with her if she was between classes,” recalls DeVries. “She was always kind and gracious and made me feel welcomed as a new staff member. I have had the pleasure to work with many faculty and staff at Calvin over the years and she is one that stands out in my memory for her grace. She was very friendly and easy to have a conversation with.

“While I can’t recall any specific memories of Ann; I do recall how she made me feel—and that is a much more lasting memory,” added DeVries.

Noteboom’s legacy also lives on through a named scholarship she set up with her late husband, William, for students showing promise in oral rhetoric.

Noteboom was preceded in death by her husband, William Noteboom. She is survived by her stepchildren Marja (Rick) Shields, Mieneke (Steve) Thomas, Grace Noteboom, Jane (John) Costing, Tineke (Harry) Stolt, and John (Beth) Noteboom, 18 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.