Birth date: Jun 21, 1936 Death date: Dec 29, 2021
Howard Dean Dirkse, PE, 85, of Spring Lake died Wednesday December 29,2021 at Chestnut Fields in Muskegon, MI. He was born on Father’s Day June 21, 1936 to John C. and Bertha (Honholt) Dirkse in Grand Haven and married Carol Mark Read Obituary
Grew up in same church as Howie so always knew him. Knew his first wife through nursing at NOCH and his second wife Carol through also growing up in the same church and she was our glee club instructor at GHCS. .Howard and Carol were involved in Zuni Missions and we shared mutual friends. Our sympathy to you, Carol, and the rest of the family.
Howard and Carol graciously and somewhat spontaneously hosted me and a couple friends one Thanksgiving Saturday night after a UM/MSU game - hospitality I was very grateful for as his daughter-in-law's sister, a tiny thread of relationship that Howard made into a real and warm bond, and my friends were MSU fans, so he had to work hard at that one! I know he was a terrific grandparent to my nieces and a good man all around, and I trust the happy memories that surround his family will sustain them as they grieve. Wishing peace beyond understanding to you.
Our family lived across the street from Howard and family on North Shore Estates and remember his passion for the U of M. His car horned blast out the fight song
The Klemp Family
My sympathy to the Dirkse family. We were neighbors when the Dirkse family on Franklin Ave. & met him when I worked at Peoples Bank.
