Jacqueline Besteman

Jacqueline Besteman, the widow of Karst Besteman of Grand Rapids, died at Kirby Pines Manor, Memphis, TN, on Wednesday, August 16, 2017.  Mrs. Besteman was born in West Virginia in 1933. She graduated from Washington and Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. Later, she earned a B.S. in psychology from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, an M.S. in psychology from the New School, New York, and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University, Newark, NJ.  Mrs. Besteman made her career in government service. She worked for the New York Health Department and later for the federal department of Health and Human Services, from which she retired in 2004.  Mrs. Besteman was fond of the arts, travel, writing, reading for pleasure, and walking for exercise.  Mrs. Besteman was the widow of Clive Huggins, of Memphis, who died in 1979, and of Karst Besteman, who died in 2010.  Mrs. Besteman is survived by four sons: Michael Huggins of Fort Worth, Tim and Velma Huggins of Nashville, David and Brenda Huggins of Bartlett, and Karst and Pam Besteman of Crownsville, MD; a daughter, Elizabeth Besteman of Lansdale, Pennsylvania; nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild; two sisters: Nancy Baker of Sacramento, California and Phyllis Wainwright, of Richmond, Virginia; numerous nieces and nephews, and her dear friend David Walters, of Kirby Pines Manor. Funeral arrangements are through Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Directors, 4145 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville, MI 49418. A graveside service will be held at Rest Lawn Memorial Park, Grand Rapids. A memorial service will be held in Memphis at a later date.