Dorothea Knight

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Dorothea Elouise (VanZoeren) Knight, our loving mother, grandma, and grammy; born on October 10, 1923, to John and Nellie (Terpstra) VanZoeren, the sixth of eight children, passed from this life on July 26, 2021, at the age of 97. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Edward “Fuzz” Knight in 1972; her daughter, Bonnie Lynn in 1970; her parents; brothers, Allan, Raymond (Kay), Roger (Evelyn), Maurice (Betty), Harold (Evie); sisters, Marian and Marlene (Richard) Parente; parents-in-law, Thomas and Ada Knight; and sister-in-law, Gladys (John) Butas. She is survived by her children, Dennis (Doris) Knight, Marjorie (Lyle) Overton, Jeanne Behrens, Patty (Julian) Arizola; grandchildren, Stephanie Knight, Brian Knight, Nicole (Mike) Grimmett, Deborah Glupker, Teresa (Derek) Barresi, Jennifer Points; step grandchildren, Sherry Fry, Laurie Overton, Scott Overton, Stacy Hepburn; 8 great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren; and many VanZoeren and Parente nieces and nephews. Dorothea was a woman of strong character who instilled her common sense and values in her children and grands. She loved life, family, and doing for others. She was a caretaker to many family members and friends in their time of need. Dorothea also volunteered with Sunshine Helpers, Meals on Wheels, and yearly donation drives for the March of Dimes and the Cancer and Heart Associations. Dorothea had a competitive spirit and enjoyed golfing and bowling. She served for 25 years as the secretary of the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s Bowling Association and also served for 40 years on the State Board of the Women’s Bowling Association. She was one of the first inductees into the Greater Grand Rapids Bowling Hall of Fame (1994) and was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame (2000). She leaves us a treasure chest of memories that we will hold in our hearts forever.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 30, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home (Grandville) 4145 Chicago Dr. SW. with Chaplain Than Johnson officiating. Burial at Woodlawn Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet the family Thursday, July 29, from 4-6 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service on Friday. A heartfelt thank you to all the staff at Rose Garden Assisted Living and to Emmanuel Hospice for the kindness, compassion, spiritual guidance, and loving care of our mother. You have been our angels. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to Emmanuel Hospice or to The Sunset Legacy Foundation (Rose Garden Assisted Living).