Henry Zeinstra

It is with deep and heavy sadness that we announce the death of Henry Zeinstra who passed on August 20, 2014 at Covenant Village of the Great Lakes. Hank was born in Coopersville in 1931 to Dorus and Theresa Zeinstra. Hank had a witty, dry sense of humor, was rarely frivolous, cherished family time, and embodied the motto "a man's word is his bond". He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, demonstrating his intense love for his family by being the backbone of his family. He cherished dinner with his family, was always willing to provide any help his wife, daughter, or son needed, and never complained about the hour of the day, or the length of time it took get to their side. He was fiercely loyal and patriotic and served his country, being honorably discharged from the Coast Guard. Hank had a life-long love affair with lemon meringue pies, powdered sugar donuts, fresh fruit of any kind, peach or strawberry shortcake, rhubarb pie, and homemade ice cream. Hank loved a good meal and would often be found in the kitchen trying or refining a new recipe to share with his family. Hank and Juanita's love for nature was the motivation for their vacations and they traveled extensively after retirement, having set foot on every continent and sailed each ocean. The Galapagos Islands, sailing through the Drake Passage, and Churchill polar bear watching were favorite destinations. He found joy in simple things - watching the sunrise on the deck at the cottage or reading a good book on the porch, with a cup of coffee and one of his many canine companions curled at his feet. Fishing with Jay, lunch with the retirees from (Lear Siegler, and watching the birds enjoying a meal at the birdfeeders were favorite past times. Hank is survived by his wife, Juanita, his daughter, Cris and son-in-law Douglas Crew, son Michael and daughter-in-law Maria, his sister Dorothy Zank, sister-in-law Fern Zeinstra, and his grand-dogs Titus, Jack, Farrah and Rocky. The family asks that no flowers be sent. Instead, donations can be made to your favorite charity, or to Kent County Humane Society or to the Grand Traverse County Regional Land Conservancy. The family wishes to thank the staff of Covenant Village and Faith Hospice, particularly Kathy, Andrea, Emily and Nancy for their incredible care and compassion shown to Hank while in their care. Visitation will be Monday August 25, 2014 from 4-7pm at Covenant Village of the Great Lakes, 2510 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504. A committal service for both Juanita & Hank will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Juanita's birthday, Monday, September 25th, at Ft. Custer National Cemetery, 15501 Dickman Rd., Augusta. In lieu of flowers, we are asking that donations be made to the charity of your choice, to Kent County Humane Society, or to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Henry Zeinstra, please visit our flower store.