Jacklyn (Jackie) Lou Zych was born March 30, 1933, to Paul and Gladys (Marcus) Diepenhorst in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jackie was the third child in the Diepenhorst family. She had two older sisters Pauline Boss and Dawn Etterbeek and a younger brother, Paul (Butch) Diepenhorst Jr. When Jackie was in middle school the family moved from the city of Grand Rapids to her mother’s hometown of Holland Michigan. They lived in a small house with a large barn near Tunnel Park and Holland State Park. Their home didn’t have indoor plumbing in the beginning, but they had lots of love and things to keep them busy. The family had many horses to take summer tourists on trail rides and they ran the concession stand at Tunnel Park.
On November 4, 1952, Jackie married Henry (Hank) Zych, the owner of the restaurant she was waitressing at named Eten House. After selling their part of Eten House to Hank’s brother Chuck, the couple moved on to manage the Reef Restaurant and Yacht Club at Bay Haven Marina. The family enjoyed working there and the amenities at the marina but decided once again to own their own restaurant. In 1968, the Zych’s opened Dog-N-Suds Restaurant and retired in 1985. After retiring, the couple enjoyed spending many winters in Ft. Myers, Florida with family and friends.
The couple raised four children together. Their first child was Wayne, followed by Tom, Henry (Rich), and Mary. Jackie’s family and friends who were like family were her world. She was happiest with family making Sunday dinner, playing a game of cards, listening to music, or playing bingo. Jackie was always the “life of the party,” and a great storyteller with an amazing smile. She could remember everyone’s name and remember who was related to whom. Jackie loved to go shopping, go to the beach, and eating a good cheeseburger. She was kind, loving, loyal, and one-of-a-kind. Jackie was a member of Our Lady of The Lake Catholic Church.
Jackie died June 19, 2021, in Holland, MI. She was preceded in death by her husband Henry Zych in 2005, her son Wayne in 1969, and Henry (Rich) Zych in 1979. She was preceded in death by her sisters, brother, their spouses, and all of her in-laws. Jackie was the last of a generation of her family and her husband’s. Her family includes her children, Tom (Nina) Zych of Holland and Mary Zych (Stephanie Geering) of Holland, three grandchildren, Zachery, Stephanie Zdun (Tom), and Jordan. She has three great-grandchildren, Marlee, Owen, and Jackson Zdun, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Jackie’s family would like to say thank you to all of her caregivers over the years. A special thank you and acknowledgment to her dear friend, buddy, and family member by choice Kathy Everse for being her sidekick.
A funeral mass will be 2:00 pm, Thursday, June 24, 2021, at Our Lady of The Lake Catholic Church, 480 North 152nd Avenue in Holland. Burial will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6-8 pm, Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at Dykstra Funeral Homes-Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Avenue in Holland, and from 1:30-2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Memorial contributions can be made to VFW Post #2144.
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