John Franklin DeVries, age 101, went to his eternal home on August 30th, 2022. John was born in Grand Rapids, MI on May 30, 1921. He is predeceased by parents Peter and Jenny (Wiersma) DeVries, sister Winifred (Peter) Zandstra, and son Robert John DeVries. John graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High and worked as a letter carrier for the US Postal Service before joining the US Army during WWII. As a B-17 navigator John flew thirty missions over Germany. After returning from the war, he returned to the US Postal Service. In 1947, John married Hilda (Hildy) De Zeeuw, the love of his life. In 1959 he pursued business courses at Davenport Business school and joined Bissell Inc., where he worked for twenty-eight years as a purchasing manager. After his retirement from Bissell, he and Hildy served as volunteers with the Disaster Response Services of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (now World Renew) in various locations. John loved traveling out west and his children remember fondly camping trips in the Rockies and Yellowstone. In 1993 John and Hildy sold their home in Grand Rapids and moved to the Villages of Lady Lake, Florida where they spent winters. While at the Villages, they met many friends and welcomed them to their home. Both John and Hildy were active in their church community in Lady Lake. They spent twenty-five wonderful summers with family and friends at their cottage at Cobmoosa Shores, by Lake Michigan. In 2006 they made their final earthly move to Raybrook, in Grand Rapids. John was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, dedicating himself to his family. He loved working crossroad puzzles and did one every day. To say John was an avid reader is an understatement. Until the end, John always had a book in progress, sometimes as many as five at a time. He read novels, books about history, the Christian faith and theology, important figures, and politics. John loved Jesus and lived by the words of Micah 6:8, treating all people with kindness, dignity, and respect. John was known for his gentle demeanor and his affable and inquisitive nature. John often spoke about his faith. He spoke openly about a mystical experience he had in which he saw a very bright light which encompassed him and everything in the universe. During this experience he saw that everything on earth and in the universe is connected, and everything is connected to God, the source of all. In his last few years, he spoke about wanting to go home to be with Jesus. John is survived by his wife of 75 years, Hildy, and children Daniel DeVries (Christine Zupanovich), Darlene DeVries (wife of son Robert DeVries), Thomas DeVries, (Eunice Hayes), Mark (Lisa) DeVries, Pamela DeVries Rini (Joel) and grandchildren Gina DeVries, Ryan and Megan DeVries, Christopher Rini (Jordan Coiner) and Marcus Rini, Ella and Sylvie DeVries and several nieces and nephews. Memorial Contributions may be made to World Renew. John's family would like to express a sincere and grateful thank you to the staff at both Holland Home Verblaauw Unit and Faith Hospice. A memorial service will be held Saturday September 10th at the Woodlawn CRC Ministry Center at 1pm.