Charlene Anne Vanderson, age 88, went peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior on November, 18, 2023. She was reunited with her beloved husband, Peter Robert "Bob" Vanderson, who passed away in 2014. Charlene will be greatly missed by her children, Bob and Kathy Vanderson, Ross and Wendy Ouwinga, Tom and Linda Vanderson, Jeff and Jenni Vanderson, and her 13 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. She is survived by her two sisters and brother-in laws, David and Richanda Bolt and David and Nancy VanHouten, and her sister- in-law, Shirley Vanderson. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Jeanette Gunton, parents- in-law, Peter and Cornelia Vanderson, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Franklin and Betty DeHaan, and brother-in-law, Theodore Vanderson.

Charlene was born on August 23, 1935 in Grand Rapids, MI. After high school she attended nursing school, graduating in 1954. In 1956 she married Bob, and they were married for 57 years at the time of his passing. Bob and Char had a wonderful life enjoying friends, traveling, and golfing. They loved being together and were rarely apart from one another. Family was very important to them and their favorite thing was to be surrounded by all their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Many memories were made by their pool each summer, with all the children remembering coffee and cookie time. Char was a gentle soul who had a strong faith, loved going to church and enjoying the fellowship of others. She was a loving, Christian woman, who found great joy in being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

When she started appearing on the Jacobson Heating and Cooling commercials, our business grew because everyone fell in love with "Mom". It was hard to take her out for dinner without someone stopping, commenting and wanting to connect with her. She was always so excited to talk to people and loved their kindness towards her.

After Bob's passing, Charlene moved to the Holland Home and enjoyed having many friends. She thrived as she participated in knitting, exercise classes and other activities. The highlight of each day was coffee time with everyone. She was known for her smiling, happy attitude and will be truly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

The funeral service for Charlene Anne Vanderson will be on Monday, November 27 at 11:00am at Raybrook Chapel, 2121 Raybrook St. SE, Grand Rapids. Family will greet friends and relatives on Sunday, November 26 5:00-7:00 pm at Zaagman Funeral Home, 2800 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids and 1 hour prior to the funeral service on Monday.

Char's family would like to thank all the staff and her friends at Raybrook Manor and Mol North who not only loved her, but took such good care of her. We are also grateful to Faith Hospice who showed such compassion to her and our family. Please make contributions to either Faith Hospice: 2100 Raybrook St SE #300, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 or New Community Church: 2340 Dean Lake Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.