Thomas Wolters

Thomas (Tom) Kent Wolters, age 61, of Hudsonville, walked into the arms of Jesus in the early morning on August 14, 2024, with his loving wife and family at his side, after a 3-month battle with esophageal cancer. Tom was born in Holland, Michigan, to Fred and the late Saralyn Wolters on November 29, 1962. 

Tom graduated from Unity Christian High School in 1981. He attended the Ottawa County Firefighter Academy and he attended and graduated from Great Lakes EMS Academy in May 2007. Tom was a full-time captain firefighter paramedic, when he retired from Covert Township Fire Department in February 2018, after almost 15 years of service. He also was a paid on-call firefighter for Georgetown Township Fire Department with 25 years of service, retiring in June 2021. 

Tom loved being outside on his John Deere tractor that he bought for himself when he retired. He enjoyed mowing the lawn in the summer and blowing the driveway in the winter on his tractor. Tom was always willing to lend a helping hand, and he took great pride in caring for his vehicles, his home, and yard. He loved to make usable things rather than buy them, and was talented at doing so. He and his wife, Suzy, enjoyed vacationing in Traverse City, MI; Findley Lake, NY; Destin, FL; and taking cruises to the Caribbean Islands. 

Tom is survived by his wife of 37 years, Suzanne (Suzy Roush), his “Sweet 16” Sweetheart. Tom and Suzy met when they were teenagers, in the summer of 1978, when he moved with his family from Zeeland, MI, to Clymer, NY. Tom moved back to Michigan the following year, and they lost contact for several years. They reconnected in 1984, and began corresponding through letters and phone calls, finally reuniting in the fall of 1985. They were married on June 6, 1987, in Clymer, NY, at the Abbe Reformed Church, sharing the same wedding date as his maternal grandparents as well as his maternal great-grandmother's birthday. 

Tom was preceded in death by his mother, Saralyn; his uncles, Ward VanderVliet and Don Wiersma; and his parents-in-law, Harold and Kathryn Roush. In addition to his wife and father, he is survived by his brother, Timothy (Melanie) Wolters and their daughter, Olivia, of Clermont, FL; and his sister, Tricia (Brian) Beck and their son, Lucas, of White Lake, MI. Also surviving are his aunts, Helen VanderVliet and Margie Wiersma, both of Holland, MI. In addition, he is survived by his siblings-in-law, Sheri and Ben Fergus of Grand Rapids, MI, and Sandy and Jeff Allen of Naples, FL; along with several other nieces and nephews and cousins. Tom is also survived by the men and women who he proudly called his “brothers” and “sisters”, serving together as firefighters in Georgetown Township, Covert Township, and neighboring fire departments in the area. 

The family would like to thank the caring staff of Faith Hospice and Trillium Woods that walked with them during Tom’s battle with cancer. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m. at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home (Jamestown) 2371 Riley St., Hudsonville, with Pastor John Nauta officiating. Relatives and friends may visit with the family on Friday, August 16, from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral home. A private burial for the family will be at Georgetown Township Cemetery. Memorials for Tom may be made to: Faith Hospice, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Dr, SW Byron Center, MI 49315 or Neighbors United - Walk for the Red, 46839 Fox Run, Macomb, MI 48044, or a charity of your choice.