John VanderZyden

John William Vander Zyden, 35, of St. Joseph, passed away suddenly on Sunday, July 24, 2005, at his family?s cottage in Montague, MI. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 30 at 11:00 A.M. at the Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. A visitation will be held on Friday between 4-8 P.M. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made either to the Vander Zyden Scholarship Fund c/o Fifth/Third Bank or the United Way of Berrien County. Those wishing to send a condolence or sign the guest book on line may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. John was born on October 15, 1969 in Grand Rapids. He was one of 4 children born to Richard & Barbara (Nieboer) Vander Zyden. He attended Grand Rapids Christian Schools where he graduated in 1987. John attended Hope College in Holland, MI where he met his wife, Melissa. He graduated in 1992 with a B.A. degree. John & Melissa were married on July 24, 1993 in Grand Rapids. John was a loving father to three children, Lauren (6), Henry (3), & Isaac (deceased). He found his true passion was in education. He attended the University of Michigan where he received his teaching certificate and a Master of Arts Degree in Literature, Language, and Learning Disabilities. During this time, he was a para-educator for Saline Area Schools. In 1998, John taught at E.P. Clarke Elementary in St. Joseph where he was a special education teacher known affectionately as ?Mr. V.? He then went on to become the assistant principal of North Lincoln School for the 2001-2002 school year. In 2003, John began working for Lakeshore Public Schools as the Director of Special Programs. He was known for his generous spirit, his quick wit, his infectious laugh, and his zest for life and was known by many as ?Special John.? He loved music and sports, particularly golfing, the Cleveland Browns, and U of M sports. He also loved spending time on and around Lake Michigan. John is survived by his wife Melissa; his children, Lauren & Henry; his parents, Richard & Barbara Vander Zyden, of Grand Rapids; his sisters, Marianne (Bill) Miller, of Ann Arbor and Susan (Tom) Schemper, of Oak Park, IL; his brother, Richard (Debra) Vander Zyden of E. Grand Rapids; his mother-in-law, Betty Bennink of Holland, father-in-law, Richard Bennink of New Brunswick, NJ; and numerous nieces and nephews.