On August 23, 2021, David Jean’s spirit stepped away from his body and danced his way to Heaven, leaving his foe, pancreatic cancer in the dust after a courageous 3 1/2 year battle. At the age of 65, he passed away at the University of Michigan Health West with his family by his side.
David was born in Bay City, Michigan on January 30, 1956, to Gerald and Vera (Scott) Jean. He grew up in Bay City, graduating from Central High School in 1974. He met Chari (Neitzel) in 1975 and they were married on May 16, 1981, and recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. They moved to Ann Arbor in the ’80s and settled down in the Kentwood/Grand Rapids area in 1991. David was a member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Parish. He worked as a journeyman carpenter and then as a CADD operator after a construction injury. He also loved his semi-retirement job at the Home Depot.
He was preceded in death by his parents Gerald and Vera, and father-in-law Charles Neitzel.
He is survived by his wife Chari; son Kyle (Carly) Jean; sister Deborah (Jeff) Chartier; mother-in-law Ruth Ann Neitzel; in-laws David (Mary) Neitzel, Lori (Steven) London, Paul (JoEllen) Neitzel; Many nieces, nephews, cousins, an aunt, extended family, and friends, as well as his beloved animal family of Coco, Claire, and Wulfgar. David loved talking to everyone, made friends wherever he was and went out of his way to thank every veteran he saw for their service. He was a fantastic storyteller, as many can attest, and was hard to keep in his seat during chemo treatment. He loved the martial arts, where he met his wife and excelled at Judo, earning a scholarship to Cumberland College on their judo team where he competed at the Nationals. He also loved weight training and bodybuilding and has been a judge at bodybuilding competitions in his early years. His great escape was bike riding. David has been cremated per his wishes.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be on September 1 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, 1253 52nd Street SE, in Kentwood. Visitation with the family will be at 10 a.m. with a Mass at 11 a.m.
We want to thank everyone involved in his care during this battle, including Spectrum Health Surgical Oncology, the staff at Cancer and Hematology of West Michigan, and the University of Michigan Health West ICU staff, all whose names are too numerous to mention (but you know who you are). All provided expert compassionate care to both David and his family. God bless you for your service. He loved deeply and was deeply loved and will be forever missed. Hezawahh!
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