Kathryn Honeycutt

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Kathryn “Sammy” (Stacy) Honeycutt – a true matriarch of a large and loving family – passed away on September 16, 2023, at the age of 80, leaving behind her three daughters, their spouses, nine grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, extended family and friends that she so graciously accepted into her circle.

Born January 12, 1943, to Kathryn (Roedding) and Samuel Stacy in Grand Rapids, Sammy graduated from Rogers High School in 1961 and was voted “Prettiest Girl” in her class. She spent her formative years with her great aunt and uncle, Helen and Rex Williams. She married Charles “Chuck” Honeycutt on January 15, 1962, and they were married 54 years until his passing in 2016. They raised daughters Shawn (Tommy) Adams, Shane (Brian) Elling and Sonja (Rich) Rezler in Grand Rapids and Newaygo.

Though her given name was Kathryn and friends knew her as Sammy, she was primarily known as “Honey” for nearly four decades following the birth of grandchildren Michael (Ali) Fish, Stacy Sperry, Alix (Mike) Aguilar, Samuel (Lindsey) Adams, Sidney (Halie Linderman) Adams, Danielle Nicholson, Zoe Rezler, Mitchell Rezler and Alyse Rezler, each of whom she loved voraciously and unconditionally. Welcoming great grandchildren Croix, Radyx, Marek, Cecily, Bodhi, Milo, Piper, Lucas, Evelynn and Sebastian continued to fill her life with pride and great joy.

Sammy is also survived by sisters Bonnie (Dick) Pierce and Verdi “Sunny” (Harvey) Sjaarda – with whom she was able to spend her final years at Sunset Senior Communities in Jenison – and beloved nieces and nephews.

The daughter of an engineer, Sammy took that inherited ingenuity and applied it to the life of a frugal homemaker. One day you may be awakened by the sound of her hacksawing an antique ice chest to turn it into a television stand; the next by the strong scent of varnish stripper as she nearly asphyxiated herself in the garage. There were always such projects.

Her most impressive undertaking, however, was raising three girls with the small budget allotted by a penny-pinching husband. It’s said she could make miracles happen with a $20 bill. Although she’d often set aside some grocery money for other expenses, she insisted that nobody who visited her home left hungry. If there was something the family couldn’t afford, she figured out a way to make it … and make it better! There were elaborate hand-made Halloween costumes and when monogrammed and embroidered clothes were in style, she put her own skills to use – and the results were way cooler than what the girls’ friends were buying in stores.

Later in life, when Sammy and Chuck began making regular trips to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, she found her Heaven on Earth. Worries melted away amidst the sun, golden sands and azure waters, leaving a genuine joy that was heartwarming and contagious. There’s little doubt she would have moved there immediately if not for her expanding family back home. So, to make sure that her cherished family could experience the same bliss, she got to work cleaning other peoples’ houses so she could take each grandchild on an all-expenses-paid trip to swim with dolphins, dance at nightclubs and take boat excursions to Yelapa Beach as a high school graduation gift.

In congruence with that lust for joy, Sammy always said she didn’t want to attend her own funeral. To honor her final wish, we invite all to a casual Celebration of Life from 2-5pm on Sunday, October 8 at Grand Ravines Lodge, 9920 42nd Ave., in Jenison. Please bring smiles and a story to share. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Corewell Hospice. The family will attend a private interment of ashes at Croton Cemetery the following day.

Finally, with a nod of appreciation to author Robert Munsch: “We’ll love you forever, we’ll like you for always, as long as we’re living, so too will your memory.”