Jon F DeVries Sr., age 86 of Grand Rapids, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2024.
Preceding Jon in death were his father, Peter DeVries; mother, Kathryn (Seibel) DeVries, second wife, Mary Jo (Donnelly) DeVries, and granddaughter, Jessica Cato. He is survived by his loving partner, Rosie Zant; first wife, Holly Palmer; children, Debora Mehlert, Jon (Leslie) DeVries Jr, Mary Beth Erhardt, Robert (Jackie) DeVries; stepchildren, Maureen (Vaughn) Culp, Mark (Jane) Donnelly, Paul (Jessann) Donnelly, Peggy Donnelly; and his many cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends.
Jon was born on July 4, 1937, to parents Peter and Kathryn DeVries and was an only child. He graduated from Catholic Central High School and attended Aquinas College. He went on to establish the marketing and sales rep company Peter DeVries Associates in 1959 with his first wife, Holly. Sales was in his blood and the business, which evolved into Team Marketing in 2002, celebrates 65 years of success this year.
Jon enjoyed golfing with his family and friends in leagues around Grand Rapids. His quick wit and love for a good joke were as much a part of him as his passion for great conversation over a good meal. Most of all, Jon enjoyed his monthly breakfast club with long-time friends.
Visitation will be held on Friday, June 7, from 6-8pm at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Funeral Home, 3980 Cascade Road SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Mass of Chrisitan Burial will be held on Saturday, June 8, at 11:00am, at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 723 Rosewood Ave SE, East Grand Rapids with visitation one-hour prior.
Memorial contributions may be made in Jon’s honor to the D.A. Blodgett – St. John’s, 2172 Dean Lake Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
3 Responses
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
He will be missed.
He was a great man! I learned a lot from him
Sincere sympathy from John and Nancy Gormley. We have many good memories of good times spent together. Starting with his marriage to MJDDD and his friendship with Rosie Z.
May he now rest in peace.