Harold James Gelderloos Jr.'s Obituary
Harold J. Gelderloos Jr., age 83, went to be with the Lord on Monday, June 24, 2025, at Trinity Health-Muskegon Campus. He was born March 5, 1942, to Harold and Kathryn (Barendsen) Gelderloos Sr., in Grand Rapids, MI. Harold lived most of his life in the West Michigan area. He is survived by his 2 children by his first wife, Mary Gelderloos, who preceded him in death.
Harold served in the Army and Army National Guard as a saxophonist in the U.S. Army Band. After his honorable service, he earned his Masters and Specialist degrees from Western Michigan University. He was a Professor of Business at Muskegon Community College (MCC), retiring in 1999. On November 27, 1997, Harold married his second wife, Janice Huizinga, and they spent the last 28 years making many memories together.
Harold raised his family in Muskegon, teaching at MCC for over 32 years. Over his career, he touched thousands of lives, challenging his students to think big and question their assumptions. It was rare for his family to go anywhere in Muskegon without being asked, “Hey, are you related to Professor G?” For many years, he led student trips to the New York Stock Exchange, Chicago Mercantile, and various conferences.
Harold lived by his philosophy of “work hard, play hard,” being constantly curious and exploring new things. He was an “early adopter” of new technologies, from purchasing one of the first personal computers available in the 1970’s, to implementing an elaborate car-based GPS system (think laptops, antennas, and lots of wires). His interest in life-long learning was something he instilled in family and friends throughout his life. His hobbies and interests were widespread and varied, from woodworking (building a grandfather clock from scratch), to rockhounding and rock polishing (dragging his family to any shoreline if it was raining), boating (from canoes, to power boats, to pontoons), birdwatching with the Audubon Society (and reluctant family members), bicycling (circumnavigating Lake Michigan, long-distance trips in New England and Colorado), and extensive travel. During summers, he would ride his motorcycle to teach night classes at MCC, milk crate strapped to the back with his briefcase bungeed in safely. He loved his farm in northern Wisconsin, preserving native prairie grasslands, maintaining over 8 miles of trails through woods and fields on his beloved John Deere tractor, and creating a focal point for visits from family and friends. Despite his love for the outdoors, including skiing, biking, and boating, as he got older his love of Wisconsin and Michigan did not extend to winter weather (claiming a snow allergy), and he loved his winter home in Englewood, Florida. His passion for genealogical research brought him in contact with distant Dutch relatives, and he developed a broad group of friends and acquaintances through his investigations. He extended his genealogical interests to documenting the lives and circumstances of his family’s history through a series of self-published books.
Harold will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His deep love and devotion to family, his unbounded curiosity, and his dedication to learning and exploring, which he instilled in every life he touched, will remain with us all forever.
He is survived by his wife, Janice (Huizinga) Gelderloos; 2 children, Carl (Julie) Gelderloos, and Norma (Paul) Gelderloos-VanTol; 2 step-children Laura Leenhouts and Andrew (Jenny) Leenhouts; 5 grandchildren, Benjamin and Keith Gelderloos, Natalie and Claire VanTol, and Elliott Leenhouts; and brother Glenn (Nancy) Gelderloos. Harold is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary Gelderloos; sister Frances Rosema; and brother-in-law, Roger Rosema.
A service will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444, with visitations one-hour prior. Visitation with the family will be held from 6:00-8:00 PM on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at The Lee Chapel.
Contributions in memory of Harold may be made to the Mayo Clinic Patient Fund or Sarasota Memorial Heart Center.
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