Our dear friend, Ronald Olivier Vander Schaaf passed away at the age of ninety-six on July 20, 2025. Born in Hull, Iowa on December 31, 1928 to Ralph and Nellie (Olivier) Vander Schaaf, Ron was the youngest of three children. Preceding him in death were his parents, Ralph and Nellie, and his sisters Carolyn L. Crawford and Delores C. Melton. Graduating from high school in 1946, Ron began his teaching career in a one-room school house in northwest Iowa at 18 years of age. He served in this capacity until he was inducted into the Army in 1951 where he served for two years, one during the Korean Conflict and the other in Japan.
Returning home from the military to Holland, Michigan, Ron entered Hope College in Holland, Michigan and graduated with a B.A. Degree in 1956. He continued his teaching career as an elementary and junior high school teacher in Holland, Michigan where he displayed a deep passion for children and their parents. He would often remind parents that they were the first and most important teacher their child would ever have. After completing an M.A. Degree from the University of Michigan in 1963, Ron taught in the Holland Public Schools from 1956-1986 which included a three year on-leave assignment overseas (1958-1960) to teach in an Army and Air Force school in Germany (1963-1964).
Ron traveled extensively while nurturing a particular affinity with South Africa and Japan, and over the years he befriended and hosted many individuals from these two countries as well as so many others. He offered home stays for International Western Theological Seminary students, volunteered as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor, and donated his time at the City Rescue Mission (Gateway), Bibles for Mexico and Adult Day Care.
As the recipient of Hope College’s Distinguished Art Award in his senior year, Ron possessed an eye for quality, uniqueness and style. Throughout his life and especially during his retirement years, Ron continued to be a classic collector of antiques, fine furniture, glassware, pottery, dishes and assorted personally meaningful treasures.
He turned his home on Lake Macatawa, where he lived for 56 years, into his “treasure box” and filled it with things he had discovered while traveling the four corners of the earth, cultivating his appreciation for art, antiques, furniture and pottery. Throughout his life, Ron developed and nurtured long lasting relationships. To those who knew him, his good wit, playful humor and easy chuckle will be missed.
A funeral service to celebrate and honor Ron’s life will take place on Saturday, August 2nd, at 12:00pm at Christ Memorial Church – Chapel (Please use entrance D). A one-hour visitation will take place prior to the service starting at 11:00am. Final interment will occur in Beaver Creek, Minnesota where Ron will be buried next to his parents and family.
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