Frederick Van Den Bosch, 94, passed from life into life on November 28 at the home he shared with his wife Carol (Venhuizen) Van Den Bosch for over 62 years. Fred was the eighth child of John A. and Frederika Van Den Bosch and was the last surviving member of their eleven children.
Born May 30, 1927, in Zeeland, MI, Fred grew up during the Great Depression and came of age with WWII, difficult times which instilled in him self-discipline and integrity without robbing him of his unending capacity for love, generosity, joy, kindness, and–above all–faith. After a short term of service in the US Navy, Fred brought these qualities to the John A. Van Den Bosch Company, which he built with his father and brothers Bill and Marv.
Fred’s most cherished vocation was serving God, and out of that love, being a husband to Carol; father to Mary (Steve) Koster, Mike (Mary) Van Den Bosch, and Mark (Nalini) Van Den Bosch; grandfather to Kerri (Caleb) Chamberlain and Daniel (Amanda) Van Den Bosch, Matt, Erin, and Annaka Koster; and great grandfather to Jackson, Ella, Eva, and Marigold. In addition to his immediate family, Fred is survived by in-laws Lorraine Van Den Bosch, Norma DeJonge, Jud and Joyce Deters, Marge Sankey, and many nieces and nephews.
His generosity towards and investments in the future did not end with his own family; in addition to serving as a Cadet counselor, working with young people at The Bridge Youth Center, mentoring people in prison through Crossroads Ministries, and asking every server in every restaurant how their day was going, Fred sponsored scholarships for education and ministry at several Christian organizations.
More than anything else, Fred’s life was defined by his commitment to God. A lifetime member and elder at First Christian Reformed Church Zeeland, Fred was never content to keep his faith solely behind the doors of a church. Whether leading Bible studies for migrant workers, sitting down to converse with someone, or excitedly talking about one of his self-proclaimed “crazy ideas” about how to share the gospel, Fred believed that faith was about meaningful words and deliberate action. He was a man of both.
Visitation will be held at Yntema Funeral Home on Thursday, December 2 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. A funeral service will be at Fred and Carol’s home church, First CRC Zeeland, 15 S. Church Street, Zeeland, on Friday, December 3 at 11:00 AM. The family requests that masks be worn while in attendance at the visitation and the service, except when speaking with family members who are hard of hearing. Interment will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery. In place of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Bridge Youth Center in Zeeland. If you are unable to attend, please leave a memory about Fred on the funeral home website. www.yntemafh.com
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