Mary L. Vander West's Obituary
Mary Leola Vander West, 79, passed away in Muskegon, MI on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. Mary was born on May 1, 1943, in Big Rapids, Mi to her parents, William and Leola (Barry) Barnes. She moved with her family to Muskegon in 1958 and graduated from Muskegon Catholic Central High School. On March 3, 1962 she married Robert Vander West. They spent 54 wonderful years together before he preceded her in death in 2016. Mary worked for many years at Glenside School and then became a paraprofessional for Mona Shores Public Schools, spending most of her time at Campbell Elementary, where she was affectionately known as Grandma to many until her retirement in 2005. Mary attended Trinity Lutheran Church for many years. She served on the Altar Guild, was an original member of the Stephen Ministry and was actively involved with Gals on a Mission. Mary enjoyed sewing, making crafts and flower gardening. She loved going to the casino and traveling. She went on many wonderful adventures with her husband and they especially enjoyed many trips to the Upper Peninsula. Most especially, she loved spending time with her family and many friends and entertaining on holidays and special occasions. She was very giving and generous with those she cared about and never forgot a birthday. She had a great sense of humor and kept us all laughing until the very end. She will be lovingly remembered by her three children: Robert Vander West, Leigh Ann (Ronald Sr.) Archer, and David Vander West; five grandchildren Ronald Archer, Christopher Vander West, Rebecca (Scott) Morse, David Vander West Jr., and Kaitlin (Joe) Giordimaina; five great-grandchildren: Noah, Olivia, Charlotte and Amelia Morse and Logan Vander West; two brothers: E. Michael Barnes and John (Linda) Barnes; and several nieces and nephews; along with her many friends, most especially the “Golden Girls” Erma, Pat and Karen; and her cat Precious. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert.; and two siblings: William Barnes and Marcella Wildt. Special thank you to Dr. Alguire and the staff at the cancer center and Jordan and Nancy from Harbor Hospice. Visitation will be Monday, October 3 from 5-7 PM at the Walburn Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services. A funeral service will be taking place at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, October 4, at Trinity Lutheran Church, with visitation one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Johnson Cancer Center or Trinity Lutheran Church. Please sign the family’s online guestbook and share memories with the family at sytsemafh.com
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