Donald D. Holwerda

Donald D. Holwerda, age 90, of Hawthorne, N.J. went home to be with his Lord and Savior, on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. His family was lovingly with him at home, at the time of his passing.

Don was born in McBain, Michigan, the son of the Reverend John J. Holwerda and Jennie (Roetman) Holwerda. Just after graduating from high school, Don’s father took a call to pastor a new church in Newton, NJ. So while his family, then residing in Randolph, Wisconsin, headed to New Jersey, Don went to Grand Rapids, Michigan to begin his freshman year at Calvin College.

In the church that Don’s father began pastoring, there was family with a lovely and sweet young daughter named Evelyn LaFleur. Don’s parents took a real liking to Evelyn and thought she’d be a great match for their son Don. Consequently, Don’s parents did their best to endear themselves to Evelyn, even picking her up from her part-time summer job at Sears and having her over for lunch. Between Don’s freshman and sophomore year at Calvin, he came home to work part-time at the local A&P grocery store and, while home, he had his first opportunity to meet Evelyn. The following fall, Don began his sophomore year and Evelyn began her freshman year at Calvin and it appeared that Don’s parent’s efforts paid off as they began dating steadily. Even when Don interrupted his education and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after his sophomore year, he and Evelyn kept the love light burning through cards and letters. Don served stateside, primarily in Anchorage, Alaska, from 1951 to 1955 as a Remington Raider - a self-appointed title that he and his fellow typewriting clerks came up with because they used Remington typewriters. With the ending of the Korean War, he returned to civilian life and resumed his studies at Calvin College, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in education. Soon after he graduated, on Friday, June 15, 1956,  Don and Evelyn exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends at the Newton Christian Reformed Church with the service officiated by his father, Reverend John J. Holwerda. After the ceremony, everyone celebrated with a reception at the Newton Methodist Church because it had a dining hall adequate for the celebration. The newlyweds headed off in their Nash for a honeymoon to the beautiful state of Maine.

Don and Evelyn began married life in New Brunswick, NJ so that Don could attend Rutgers University in pursuit of his Master’s degree. After earning his Masters, they relocated to North Haledon, NJ and Don promptly began his first teaching job with Eastern Christian Schools, a private, K-12 Christian school association located in North Jersey. He initially taught in the elementary grades at the campus on North 4th Street in Paterson. In the late 1960’s his duties shifted from the classroom to the role of school principal. In this new position, he was first charged with the responsibility of closing the North 4th Street and Passaic campuses as part of the association’s focused efforts on development of emerging campuses in Midland Park and Wyckoff. After serving as principal in Midland Park throughout the 1970’s, he returned to the classroom and taught 6th grade at the Wyckoff Campus during the 1980’s until retirement in the early 1990’s.

In retirement Don kept active by chaperoning trips for Eastern Christian School to Greece, substituting at the Dawn Treader Christian School in Paterson, working part-time as a student teaching evaluator for William Paterson University’s education program, and volunteering for the worthy work of Habitat for Humanity.

Retirement also afforded more time to visit family and friends in different parts of the U.S., to yield larger crops from his huge backyard vegetable garden, and to engage in one of his other favorite pastime activities – birdwatching. Don and Evelyn found this to be a very relaxing, rewarding and exciting endeavor. One of their favorite bird watching destinations was the Celery Farm – a 107 acre freshwater wetland in Allendale. With over 240 species of birds, there were plenty of sightings to discover and record. Don’s enthusiasm for bird watching was so great that he was known to eagerly share stories of his experiences with his sons, his nephews and nieces. For some of them, it made such a lasting impression that they went on to establish ornithological careers. Unfortunately, in 2003, Don experienced an accident while swimming in the ocean at Ocean Grove which left him with paralysis from the waist down. Despite this life-altering event, he remained upbeat, always trusting God to supply his needs each and every day.

From his years as an educator doing his best to provide children with a Christ-centered education, to serving as an elder and deacon at the Midland Park Christian Reformed Church, Don dedicated his entire life to the service of God his Father in heaven. His favorite Psalm was Psalm 123 and favorite songs were Day by Day and Jesus Loves Me. In fact, a couple of nights before he passed away, Don was singing the words of Jesus Loves me with Angela, his dear caregiver. They would be the last words Don would utter here on earth before seeing his Father in heaven.

Don & Angela, his caregiver

Don was the beloved husband of Evelyn H. (LaFleur), blessed in marriage for 64 years. He was the dear father of Gregory and wife Cheryl Holwerda of Grand Rapids, MI, Douglas Holwerda of Hawthorne, John Albert Holwerda of Grand Rapids, MI, and Daniel Holwerda of Hawthorne; cherished grandfather of Aidan Michael Holwerda and Brandon Thomas Holwerda; dear brother of the late Harriet Dekker and husband, Eugene, John and wife Trudy Holwerda of Zeeland, MI, and the late Jay Holwerda of Artesia, CA.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Don’s name are asked to consider his much-loved Eastern Christian Schools.

Personal checks can be mailed to:

The Foundation for Eastern Christian School

50 Oakwood Ave.

North Haledon, NJ 07508-2449

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