Frank R. DeRose's Obituary
Frank R. DeRose passed away on January 13 in Muskegon with loved ones at his side. He was more than ready to move on to the next life and meet his Savior.
Frank was born September 10, 1921 to Richard and Jeanette (Newmyer) DeRose and lived in Muskegon his entire life. He married Lydia Ouwerkerk on June 18, 1947. For many years he worked at Shaw Box (Dresser Crane and Hoist) in the import/export department. In the late 1960’s he became a manufacturer’s representative for Wrought Washer in Milwaukee with the lower half of Michigan being his territory. He was always a good listener and his customers knew he cared about them.
He watched the business channels with great interest and knew what the stock market was doing at any given time. He was a devoted University of Michigan fan, both football and basketball, and watched the Detroit Tigers with a critical eye. He taught his children to never be “fair weather” fans because your teams needed you the most when they were having trouble.
Frank was proud of his Dutch heritage and he and Lydia were able to visit The Netherlands in 1986. He loved telling stories of growing up in Muskegon and no matter where he went he always ran into someone he knew. Every summer Frank had a vegetable garden while he and Lydia lived on Lake Harbor Road. His tomatoes were unquestionably the best, and the rest of the garden wasn’t bad either. He attended Forest Park Covenant Church. He also drove Buicks his whole life.
He was a “stubborn Hollander” (our mother’s description) but he loved his family more than anything. Frank is survived by his son, Richard (Rebecca) of North Carolina, his daughter, Martha (Adam) Pinsky of Washington State; his grandchildren Elizabeth (Christopher) Kowal, Sarah (Alex) Deiters, Nicholas DeRose, Samuel Pinsky and Benjamin Pinsky; and his sister, Leona Ludwig. He also leaves five great-grandchildren. He asked to especially mention his good friend, Ken Johnson, of whom he thought so highly and who was so good to Frank right up to the end. He was predeceased by his wife, Lydia, and his sister, Florence Holstine.
A Memorial Service will be at Forest Park Covenant Church (3815 Henry St.), 1PM Saturday, June 15, 2019. Charitable donations can be made to the Heartland Hospice (https://heartlandhospicefund.org).
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