Henricus Theodore Matthew Stoelinga (Erick), 81, of Holland, Michigan (formerly of Chicago Heights, Illinois), passed away peacefully on October 26, 2021. He was born to Louis and Corry Stoelinga on July 1, 1940 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In his final days, he was surrounded by loved ones.

The Stoelinga family came to the United States in April of 1955 and planted roots on the north side of Chicago, Illinois. Erick was the youngest of 5 children. A Veteran of the United States Army, Erick served honorably from March 1963 to March 1966. He enjoyed his work at Adams School of Driving in Morton Grove, IL. He was a beloved husband, father, and sibling.

He had a passion for oil painting, building, singing, playing percussion and gardening. With a creative imagination, his visions were brought to life, whether it be building a camping trailer, a child's bedroom loft, an entire addition to a house or an elaborate landscape design. He used to say, "God made all the beautiful flowers and plants. I just rearrange them."
Erick was a strong man of faith, confident in his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. His genuine kindness and jovial nature was felt by anyone who was lucky enough to know him. Erick lit up the room with his warm smile and sense of humor. No one gave better hugs than Erick; his long and strong embrace would give the feeling of safety and love. If you ever needed your spirits to be lifted, you could always count on Erick to throw you a quick joke to make you laugh. He surely had the music in him and could get everyone around to join in, whether it was drumming the beat on the steering wheel or belting out Abba, Brian Adams or Fleetwood Mac tunes. Creating lasting memories by way of special outings were always Erick's idea of a good time: going out to dinner, playing tennis with friends and family, park picnics with his daughters, attending church functions, traveling to visit family. In addition to being out and about, he also loved some downtime with family at home, curled up on the couch, eating ice cream or chocolate, and playing games or watching movies.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy Stoelinga (nee Windt). Erick is also survived by his children: two daughters Rebecca Stoelinga, Amy Stoelinga, stepson Jeff Hofmann whom he shared with his former wife Bonnie Stoelinga, son Rick Stoelinga, stepchildren Brian & Suzie Linde, Chris & Kendra Linde, brother Jack (Corry), sister Mary (Tony). Erick (Opa) was blessed with 14 grandchildren: Lucas, Tristan, Joshua, Nicholas, Allison, Jack, Benjamin, Calista, Miriam,
Evelyn, Violet, Annette, Mark and Emmeline. And, many loving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Matthew, sister Elizabeth, brother- in-law Dieter and stepson, Steven Hofmann.

The family would like to thank the Veterans Administration, Comfort Keepers, Evergreen Commons Day Center and Hospice of Holland for their care and compassion during Erick's transition to his eternal life in Heaven.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday June 25, 2022, 11 am at Living Springs Community Church, 19051 S Halsted St, Glenwood, IL 60425. Details can be found at https://www.livingspringscc.org/

Those wishing to offer expressions of sympathy are encouraged to make a memorial contribution to Hospice of Holland, Comfort Keepers of Holland, or The Day Center of Evergreen Commons of Holland. Service Details. Online Memory & Photo Sharing Event Ongoing Online Event About this event In Loving Memory Of Henricus Stoelinga July 1, 1940 - October 26, 2021 Look inside to read what others have shared Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. View Tribute Book