Dorothy "Durkje" Kuperus, age 85, passed away unexpectedly in her home in Grand Rapids on Thursday, December 26, 2024. She had just celebrated Christmas with the entire family. Her final hours spent with them were joyful and meaningful.

She was born on January 30,1939 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. As a young girl, Dorothy immigrated to America with her family from the Netherlands. Her parents were a part of the Dutch resistance and helped hide Jewish refugees during World War II. In the aftermath of the war, Dorothy's parents and siblings moved to America to start a new life. Their first home was in Michigan. Eventually they moved to New Jersey and became part of a Dutch community of immigrants there.

Dorothy married John Kuperus in 1960. Dorothy and John had 3 children. Darlene Kuperus of Grand Rapids; Lisa Moreno (Steve) of Grand Rapids; and Steve Kuperus (Kim) of Hudsonville. She had 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

For a time in her life, she lived in Hawaii. She taught children at a Montessori school on the island. That time sparked her writing of poetry. Dorothy clearly saw God in the beauty of nature, and this was clearly reflected in her writing.

Dorothy relocated to Grand Rapids after her years in Hawaii. She quickly became active as a tutor and volunteer through her beloved churches and a variety of community organizations. She was an active member at Fuller Avenue Christian Reformed Church and most recently at St. John's United Church of Christ. Her church families were important to her and a great source of friendship and spiritual nourishment.

Dorothy loved poetry, writing, nature, and sharing her tutoring skills with children. She loved teaching. She equally loved learning new things and was a lifelong learner. Dorothy was a highly spiritual person. She was committed to God and had a deep faith. Despite great suffering in parts of her early life, she never lost faith and commitment to God.

She was an active volunteer in the Grand Rapids area until her death. She was an enthusiastic volunteer at Renucci house, a place which offers a temporary home for families whose children are at DeVos Children's Hospital. All of her community service work gave her great purpose and filled her days even after a significant battle with shingles in the summer of 2024. Her determination to return to her volunteer work helped her heal and gave her the zeal to get better quickly.

A celebration of Dorothy's life will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, January 11, 2025, at St. John's United Church of Christ (1934 Bridge Street, NW Grand Rapids) with a visitation one hour prior to the service (10am – 11am).

Donations in Dorothy's memory can be made to St. John's United Church of Christ , Grand Rapids or the Renucci Hospitality House .