Bernard Samuel "Bud" Van Genderen, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed peacefully into the presence of his Lord and Savior on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

A proud Jersey boy, Bud was born on November 26, 1951 at Paterson Memorial Hospital. In his telling, an idyllic youth spent roaming the neighborhood and fields around their house in Haledon followed, with brief interruptions cruising in his grandfather's bakery truck and throwing rocks through the windows of the wax factory nearby.

He grew up learning to play guitar and make his mother laugh. He played tennis, acted in school plays and went behind the guidance counselor's back to get college applications.

Graduating from Eastern Christian High School in 1969, he expanded his horizons in the Midwest, attending Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. Successfully avoiding a haircut while there, he graduated with a degree in English in 1974. Feeling the gravitational pull from the center of the universe, he moved back to New Jersey.

Sacrificing his wrist tendons for the sake of employment, he waited out the tight teacher employment market by assembling Ford trucks through the later half of the seventies while simultaneously earning a Master's Degree in Communications from William Paterson University.

He met Christy, the love of his life, and married in 1975. Settling in Prospect Park, life entered a new era of marriage ("You wouldn't want to marry a guy like me, would you?"), fatherhood ("You'll have that."), and a career as an educator ("The medium is the message" -Marshall McLuhan).

He spent much of the Eighties driving his Datsun to and from Ramapo Indian Hills Schools as the Educational Technology Administrator, fixing Apple computers, teaching video classes, adjusting PA systems and listening to WNEW. Beyond keeping food on the table, he was in dad mode and gave everything he had to his family. There are many cherished memories of trips to Speculator, NY with long drives listening to Abbey Road, The Dark Side of the Moon, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and Blood Sweat and Tears.

He took pleasure in shocking his boss in 2005 by announcing his retirement from the Leonia school district. Although some consulting work continued for a few years, he and Christy moved to Grand Rapids in 2012 in hopes of increasing their time with their kids and grandkids.

The remainder of his life was dominated by family and he was never happier. A proud father and grandfather, he found endless joy in spending time with his grandchildren. Sillies reigned supreme. Nicknames were aplenty ('Zo, Constance McGillicutty, Rosie-Bosie, Orca, Lucky, etc.). And if they weren't around, whoever was there got to hear how they were excelling in life.

He was also ready to tell all the stories of his efforts to keep the world from past ruin. An avid movie fan he loved to talk about a New Hollywood classic or Spielbergian adventure (you've probably heard him tell you about at least one "rewatchable").

He really enjoyed explaining to you a unique quality he'd observed in someone - like he saw the light in another and genuinely was in awe.

But always there were the laughs. He liked a joker, was a joker, and wanted to goof around. So it goes.

Bud is survived by his wife of 50 years Christy (Huizenga); his daughter Annie (Josh) Haeck; his three sons Matthew (Therese); Justin (Anna Fehsenfeld); and Scott (Lauren Enos); his seven grandchildren: Elzo, Constance, and Rosemary Van Genderen; Lucy, Cora, and Leo Haeck, and Charlie Van Enos; and his five grand-dogs.

Visitation will be held at Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton Street SE, from Noon - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, with a Celebration of Life service beginning at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made to A Ripple International (a-ripple.org).