At peace in Christ's promise that "I go to prepare a place for you...that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3), Eugene Dewey Westra (Gene) passed away on September 19, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Preceded by his parents Dewey and Nellie (Koetje) Westra and his brothers Doré and James Westra, he is survived by his wife, Helen Petter Westra; daughter Marie and son-in-law Scott Vander Linde, daughter Rachel Mary Westra, son Arend and daughter-in-law Magdalena (Bonnin) Westra; grandchildren Annica (Vander Linde) and Peter Quakenbush, Kristin Vander Linde, Alexander and Helena Westra; and great grandchildren Linden Louise and Little John Quakenbush.

Born on December 18, 1933, in Detroit, Gene grew up in the fold of the Dutch Christian Reformed community there. The youngest of three brothers, he developed an early fondness for plants, animals, and agriculture during summer stays on family farms near Randolph, Wisconsin, and Falmouth, Michigan. As a young man, Gene served in the Army on active duty and in the reserves. Following his military service, Gene studied at Calvin College and did his graduate work in History and Latin American Studies at the University of Wisconsin and Michigan State University. While at Calvin, Gene met and courted fellow student Helen Petter, and the two wed on June 14, 1958, launching a steadfast 62-year marriage.

A master teacher, Gene had a lifelong commitment to Christian education, initially at West Side Christian School, Holland, Michigan; then Central Wisconsin Christian High School, Waupun, Wisconsin; Eastern Christian High School, North Haledon, New Jersey; Dordt Collège, Sioux Center, Iowa; and in the last decades of his career, Holland Christian Middle School. Throughout he was beloved by faculty and students alike. With his interest in plants, conservation and the environment, he served as a botanist and naturalist for the City of Holland's Windmill Island and for a number of years in the Hope College greenhouses. Known for his advocacy for social justice and environmentalism, Gene held that God's Kingdom is alive and evident on earth as well as in heaven. Gene's teaching and service were inspired by his faith and hope in the coming of shalom: the peace, harmony and wholeness God intended for all of his creation.

While in Holland, Gene also served as director of the Hope College Upward Bound Program, providing tutoring, counseling and mentoring for students aspiring to attend college. With a deep compassion for the hurting, lonely, and troubled, Gene rarely passed a homeless person without stopping to offer a word of encouragement along with some food or money. Gene was an active member of various church congregations over the years, attending 14th Street Christian Reformed Church in Holland during the latter years of life. Well-known for his love of choral music, Gene put his heart into directing church choirs. He sang regularly in the Holland Community Chorale and Evergreen Chorale, and frequently performed as a tenor soloist.

In summer and holiday breaks, Gene painted houses, tended his beloved gardens, cottaged near Interlochen with lifelong friends, and spent quality time "up north" at the family cabin. Gene loved the intimacy of small boats -- canoeing the Clam River, sailing on Lake Macatawa, or water skiing on Long Lake.

Above all, Gene loved and cherished family, and together with Helen he went to great lengths to provide opportunities for family time and togetherness. There is nothing Gene loved more than quietly experiencing and sharing the natural world with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchild. He is also remembered fondly for his loving visits to aunts, uncles, and distant relatives, and for the time spent with nephews, nieces and their children. He loved so many and so loyally. We will miss him profoundly. But we live in the comfort and trust that he has passed on into the arms of his Lord.

Gene's Memorial Service will be held online via Zoom on 24 October 2020 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time. Please join the Westra family for the service at the Eugene Westra Memorial Service - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86151649530 - on your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are unable to connect via the provided link, then please go to zoom.us/join and enter the Meeting ID 861 5164 9530 when prompted. Please download the Zoom app if you haven't done so already (it's free).
Visitors are invited to join the Zoom meeting before the service, between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. Those attendees wishing to listen to the service by telephone can do so by calling (312) 626-6799 and entering the Meeting ID 861 5164 9530. The service will last for approximately 45 minutes, followed by time for live remarks from friends and loved ones.
To request a calendar invitation and email reminders for the service, please send your name and email to eugenewestramemorial@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Resonate Global Mission. You may also wish to plant a tree in Gene's memory at the Tribute Center Store.

The Westra family welcomes condolences, as well as memories of Gene, on the Memory Wall of this webpage. Gene's Memorial Service will be held online via Zoom on 24 October 2020 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time. Please join the Westra family for the service at the Eugene Westra Memorial Service - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86151649530 - on your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you are unable to connect via the provided link, then please go to zoom.us/join and enter the Meeting ID 861 5164 9530 when prompted. Please download the Zoom app if you haven't done so already (it's free). Visitors are invited to join the Zoom meeting before the service, between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. Those attendees wishing to listen to the service by telephone can do so by calling (312) 626-6799 and entering the Meeting ID 861 5164 9530. The service will last for approximately 45 minutes, followed by time for live remarks from friends and loved ones. To request a calendar invitation and email reminders for the service, please send your name and email to eugenewestramemorial@gmail.com.