Jeffrey Kent VanHattum, 66, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away on June 12, 2025, at his beloved family cottage on Big Whitefish Lake in Pierson, Michigan, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson's/Multiple System Atrophy. Born to Tom and Bobbi VanHattum in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on March 9, 1959, Jeff graduated from East Kentwood High School in 1977 (where his two children graduated nearly 40 years later). He earned his BS from Michigan State in 1981 and his JD from Wayne State in 1985. Jeff was a respected attorney for 40 years: first practicing law in Detroit and later running his own firm in Grand Rapids. Jeff married his wife Mary in 1990 and together they raised two children, Andrew and Alexa. Jeff was preceded in death by his mother Barbara (Bobbi) and his nephew David. He is survived by his wife, Mary, children Andrew and Alexa (Daniel), siblings Sue, David, and John, father Tom, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins (with many thanks to his sister-in-law Jill and the Buyze cousins for their support in his final year). Jeff will be remembered for his zeal for life and his many passions—tennis, skiing, wakeboarding, scrabble, euchre, and countless more. Jeff could spend a morning in the courthouse and then an afternoon building something from scratch. He always believed in looking on the bright side of life. Jeff was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2016 and later MSA, and he fought with characteristic optimism against the disease for as long as he could. Jeff was a cherished and hilarious friend to many and, above all, a beloved and devoted father to his children. He will be deeply missed. The family will hold a private memorial at a later date at his favorite place: the lake. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to Emmanuel Hospice and the Kentwood Public Schools Educational Foundation.

Emmanuel Hospice
Web: https://emmanuelhospice.org/donate/

Kentwood Public Schools Educational Foundation
Web: https://www.kpsef.org/donate.html