Carolyn VanderVeen, 87, went to be with her Lord and Savior, early Sunday morning January 20, in Muskegon, Michigan. She is survived by her children, David (Sharon) VanderVeen, Chari Ahart (Michael Myers), Mimi (Phil) Hooker, Bill (Janet) Sorensen, Rhonda (Ken) VanderZee, John (Cindy Jo) VanderVeen, Lori (Charlie) Gardner and Beth O’Shaughnessy (Terry Rathbun); grandchildren Todd (Carrie) VanderVeen, Mark (Liz) VanderVeen, Tonya Gross (Jake Carney), Cris (Susan) Gross, Deniz (Boris) Borowski, Alex Hooker, Susan (Rick) Pellegrom, Lisa (Charlie) Brey, Seth (Erin) VanderZee, Scott (Laura) VanderZee, Jennifer (Jason) Thurkettle, Jaime (Tom) Morton, Jerri Hauck and 19 great-grandchildren. , She also leaves her sister Judy (John) Cole, sisters-in law Genevieve (Roger) VanHeyningen, Carol (John Workman), Judy (Frank) Musk, Alice VanderVeen and brother-in-law Roger Rottschafer.
Among those who have passed on before her are her husband, John VanderVeen and first husband, George Sorensen, son-in-law KC O’Shaughnessy, sister and brother-in-law Patricia and Walter Reinke, her parents Harvey and Mildred Katz and parents-in-law, William and Alice Sorensen, brothers-in-law Bill, Paul, Bob and Jack Sorensen and their respective wives, DiJean, Norma, Pat and Donna, her brother-in-law Richard VanderVeen, sister-in-law JoAnn Rottschafer and granddaughter Kristin VanderVeen. Carolyn was born in Muskegon Michigan in 1931, attended high school at Muskegon High, married and resettled eventually in Rochester, Michigan. Upon finding herself suddenly widowed in 1968, she tenaciously enrolled in Oakland Community College and then Oakland University, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in English in 1973 and eventually her Masters from WMU.
She enthusiastically taught eighth-grade English for several decades and, always relishing proper grammar usage, she continued to teach those “in need of a lesson” for the remainder of her life. She was also a natural teacher of, as one niece has coined, “the elegant”, coaching by example younger generations in the art of curating beautiful and proper experiences for all to enjoy. Carolyn’s legacy is one she shares with her husband John.
Together, they merged two families in 1974, replete with teenagers and adult children, marrying two sets of tradition and culture, into a single, beautiful, God-centered blended family, for which we are all extremely grateful. She loved pink and she wore the color often regardless of season. She also disliked the tradition of wearing black to memorial services and suggested to several of her granddaughters that white was a better option.
Accordingly, please feel free to join the family in wearing white or her favorite color, pink. Visitors may meet the family at Lee Chapel, 6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Friday, January 25, 2019. The service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Calvin Christian Reformed Church, 973 W Norton Ave.
, Muskegon. The family invites you to stay for a luncheon immediately after. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the West Michigan Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, 2922 Fuller Ave NE STE 107B, Grand Rapids, MI 49505 or The K. C. O’Shaughnessy Entrepreneurship Endowment, WMU Foundation, 1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008.
To share a memory or condolence with the family, please visit www. sytsemafh.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mrs. Carolyn L. VanderVeen please visit our Sympathy Store.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
