Ineke Zweerus

Ineke Zweerus, of Hudsonville, unexpectedly yet peacefully passed into the arms of Jesus in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 15, 2026. Her sister and best friend, Paula Bowen was by her side. Ineke would have been 72 on May 2.

Ineke was preceded in death by her loving parents, Pieter and Paulina Zweerus and her brother Pieter Zweerus.

She is survived by her beloved sister and brother-in-law, Paula and Jeff Bowen, Nieces and Nephews: Lindsay Bowen (Kevin Stanley); Nicholas Bowen (Sarah Knoll), Kyle Bowen (Kelsey), Great Nieces and Nephew: Peyton and Lauren Bowen and Emalyn and Brennen Knoll. Tante Bep and several members of her beloved Dutch family in the Netherlands and Canada.

Ineke was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, May 2nd 1954. In 1957 Pieter and Paulina chose to leave their families, friends and beloved Holland to escape the possible strife of another world war. They took their precious daughter Ineke and migrated to Canada for the chance at a better life.

After moving to Canada their little family grew to four when Paula was born. In 1962 the family moved to Grand Rapids and it grew to 5 with the birth of their son Pieter. At that time, Ineke’s father said they had to stop moving because the family was big enough.

Pieter, Paulina and their family learned English and flourished in Grand Rapids. They owned a successful butcher shop, worked in real estate and kept connected to the Dutch community. They were proud of their heritage and maintained a close relationship with their family in Holland.

Ineke attended Hall Elementary, Burton Jr. High and graduated from Central High School. Upon graduation, Ineke was hired by the Grand Rapids Public Schools. What began as an entry-level, first job, developed into a 38-year career. Ineke developed her skills during those years at GRPS. She became so successful she ended her career as the administrator assistant for three different superintendents.

Little did Ineke realize that her life as part of the GRPS family would evolve into memorable experiences, opportunities and life-long friendships spanning more than 50 years! She loved her GRPS family and treasured those relationships!

Ineke was an incredible cook! She loved to create culinary masterpieces to share with friends and loved ones. She regularly had friends over to socialize and of course, she often insisted on preparing all the appetizers.

In the summer, she transformed her garage into THE BARAGE…where friends would eat, drink and just hang out! She was a major part of “the glue” that contributed to keeping the girlfriends together.

Ineke was an amateur photographer…she was always the one to capture the moment! She loved photography and has beautifully documented all of her adventures through pictures.

One of Ineke’s joys was to travel. Along with Paula, she made many trips to Holland to maintain a close connection to her Dutch relatives. She loved cruising! She (and Paula of course) are one reason why the cruise industry has survived!

Upon retirement, Ineke and her GRPS “sister” for life, Sandy Harvey, embarked upon the bucket list trip of a lifetime. They spent a month visiting relatives in the Netherlands and traveled throughout Europe.

In addition, she has ventured “across the pond” many times with Paula to maintain her relationships with her Dutch family. She treasured her visits to the UK, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco and France.

She always looked forward to the annual Color Tour to Northern Michigan with Sandy and her other GRPS “sister” for life, Joie Sheldon. She made what will now be remembered as her last color tour to Harbor Springs last Fall with sister Paula, Sandy, Joie and her other gf’s for life, Deanna, Lori, and Sally.

Ineke never married. Her greatest joy was the love and relationships of her family…. both near and far and a special thank you to her brother-in-law Jeff for being her personal handy man. She was fiercely devoted to her parents and family. She retired from GRPS early to be with and care for her mother Paulina. She loved being Tante Ine and sharing her Dutch heritage to her nieces and nephews, some biological and some not. She was proud of them all.

Ineke was beautiful, generous, and deeply devoted to those she treasured and loved. She is and will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of loving her.

A celebration of Ineke’s life will be held on May 2, 2026. Details to follow later.