I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. On Wednesday, February 29, in his 92nd year, John E. Damon crossed the finish line of life and claimed the prize of eternal life in Christ. John is survived by his children Susan (Mark Okkema), Charles (Ruth), Janet Schuurman (John) and Paul (Dawn), by his grandchildren Doran, Brynn, Arend, Micah, Janelle, Chris, Anna, Ross and Trenton, by his sister Arlene Davidson, his sister-in-law Margaret Parker, his nephew Cheyne Davidson (Tiziana), and cousins James Van Stensel and Esther Balbach. His beloved wife Jane predeceased him. Dad graduated from Grand Rapids Junior College and The Citadel in Charleston, SC, which he attended on a football scholarship. During WWII, he served as an officer aboard the USS Alaska in the Pacific Theater. After the war, Dad attended the University of Michigan Law School, where he met our mom, with whom he enjoyed 57 years of marriage. Within a few years of graduating from law school, Dad worked his way up to the position of Grand Rapids City Attorney. Subsequently, Dad entered private practice, where he spent the rest of his professional career. He was respected as a capable, conscientious and meticulous lawyer. Dad gave leadership to many organizations, including Western and New Brunswick Theological Seminaries, The Mel Trotter Ministries the Gideons, the YMCA, Bethel Reformed Church, Fourth Reformed Church, Creston Christian School and Grand Rapids Christian High School. As a cochlear implant recipient, Dad was active in the local Cochlear Implant Support Group and an advocate for the hearing-impaired. Dad had a keen interest in politics, and was a loyal Republican. Dad was a powerful and imposing man, physically and otherwise. We have many treasured memories of Dad rooting for us at athletic events, of numerous family outings to parks, beaches and the YMCA, and of glorious summer vacations at the hunting cabins Dad built deep in the woods of his beloved Upper Peninsula. Our overriding memory will be of Dad’s integrity and unwavering devotion to his God, his wife and family, his church, his community and his country. Dad was an enormously generous man, never hesitating to give of his time and money whenever and wherever needed. He was a man of prayer and deep Christian conviction and desired that his chief legacy be the faith of his children and grandchildren. We praise and thank God for a life lived large, a life of passion and purpose, a life that made a great difference! We will celebrate Dad’s life on Sunday, April 1, which would have been his 92nd birthday. Visitation will be held at Fourth Reformed Church, 1226 Union Ave. NE, 49505 from 2-4 p.m., with a memorial service immediately following. Donations in Dad’s memory may be made to The Gideons International and Mel Trotter Ministries. Tags: 1943
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