Janice Dykema

Our beloved mom, Janice “Jan” Elaine Dykema, took her last breath on earth and ran into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the afternoon of December 5, 2025, after being cared for so tenderly by the staff at Hospice and Community Care in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Jan was born on September 2, 1941, to Dirk and Grada Kingma in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from Calvin College with a degree in Elementary Education and later taught first and second grades at Grosse Pointe Christian School.

While working on her degree at Calvin she was set up on a blind date with our dad, Merle Dykema. Our dad always noted to us how he fell in love with her smile on that first date.

Our parents dated long distance as our dad was in graduate school at University of Michigan and our mom was finishing her undergraduate studies. It wasn’t that long ago that we discovered dozens of their priceless letters in which they wrote about their mundane routines but also their deep love and respect for each other.

Our mom not only loved her husband deeply but so many others: her children, her grandchildren, her parents, her siblings, her nieces and nephews, her neighbors, and the most vulnerable in the community. Our mom was marked by mercy and humility in her relationships. And, anyone who knew her well, would also testify that she lived out the entirety of the verse from Micah 6:8 in that she was also a warrior for justice: She fought for the survival of the neighborhood public school, the immigrant who arrived in Grand Rapids with nothing, the patient who showed up to our dad’s medical practice in physical or emotional pain, the man who was falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned, this man’s wife and their two children who needed a place to go on Christmas, and her own husband who became partially blind as a young father and faced his own battles with people who treated him as lesser than because of this handicap. It was always clear to us that this embodiment of justice, love, and mercy was animated by her love of Jesus and her gratitude for what he did for her when he went to the cross and died for her sins. Her life’s mission was to point others to Jesus so that they too could accept his gift of salvation.

Jan joins her husband, Merle; her parents, Dirk and Grada Kingma; her brother, Rich Kingma, her sister-in-law, Hester Berghorst; her brothers-in-law, Edward Berghorst, Carlton Brouwer, and Edward Slenk; and many dear friends in Heaven. She is survived by her three children, their spouses, and her grandchildren: Karen and Brett Holleman (Sam, Annika, Owen), Tim and Maria Dykema (Josh, Hanna), and Cindy and Brian Klaver (Jon and Madilyn, Kate and Tommy Visser, Matt). She is also survived by her siblings, Joyce Kingma, Lois and George Blanco, John and Denise Kingma, Lorraine Brouwer, and Ruth Slenk; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Our mom fought the good fight and finished the race remaining faithful to our Lord’s calling. Come celebrate the crown of righteousness she has received by attending a Celebration of Life Service for her. It will take place on Saturday, January 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of Calvary Church (707 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525). Please enter through door C. Lunch will follow, along with a time to visit with Jan’s family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Humanity for Prisoners.