Warren Darryl Westenberg, passed away on October 25, 2024, in Grand Rapids, MI, at the age of 85. Born on May 4, 1939, also in Grand Rapids, Warren is survived by his wife Mary Jo (DeVries), and sons James (Angelina Macri) Westenberg, Jason Westenberg, John (Elizabeth) Westenberg and many loving family members. Warren's life was defined by his faith, his passion for history, his dedication to public service, and his interest in current events.

Warren's love of history, politics and storytelling began in childhood. He struggled to learn to read but, supported and encouraged by his father; he succeeded and was soon consuming books at an adult reading level. It opened the world to him and he devoured works of history, biography and politics. What came alive for him were those points in history were he could see the hand of God move the pieces. For example, The Miracle at Dunkirk, where the British Army was trapped by a superior German force and a three word phrase, from the story of the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel, "and if not", sent by the trapped army commander, triggered a rescue operation by British citizens. They responded with anything they could float - fishing boats, pleasure craft, even merchant marine boats – rescuing 338,000 soldiers. These moments in history choked him up, and brought tears to his eyes.

As a child, he started telling stories to his teddy bears and began creating fantastical adventures for them. Warren was a man for whom life was a book and he filled his pages with wit, wisdom, and a touch of whimsy. He found it easier to communicate with people who he felt had a bit of whimsy about them. To describe his sense of humor he quoted the line from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." He was always excited to share his sense of humor through stories, ideas, scripture and bits of history to a new audience. Thus began his love of writing.

Warren was also an intensely curious person, asking questions incessantly. You would have thought he was being nosey but he needed to understand the what, why, where and how of everything. It fueled his thinking and became the basis for his story telling and writing. Current events fascinated him and he watched the news every night. He would get impatient when people did not understand the history behind current events, quoting "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," a phrase from The Life of Reason by Philosopher George Santayana

After Warren graduated from Calvin College, and married, he tried a few different career paths. He taught High School English at Hudsonville Christian School. Then having worked as an editorial assistant at Newsweek, during a college break, he worked for a time at Eerdman's Publishing.

He moved on to Washington, DC where he worked for the Surgeon General's Office as an Exhibit Designer for the Public Health Service. He became Creator and Managing Editor for PHS World, the in house magazine of the Public Health Service. He won a Federal Editors' Award and was praised by then President Lyndon B. Johnson for the quality of the work. At night he returned to school, working towards a Master's Degree, first in Law and then in History.

He then became Deputy Press Secretary at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of The President, writing press releases, placing stories, and conducting press conferences. He also created special programs such as art exhibitions for minority artists. He had a front row seat for the unfolding

early Civil Rights Movement. Leaving Washington due to political shifts, Warren moved to New York, with his family, where he worked as Project Director for a start up medical educational company, Media Medica, using an early version of computer instruction. Divorced, he worked for a while as a freelance writer for various magazines in New York, Los Angeles, and Grand Rapids. He worked as a fundraiser and managed a re-election campaign for City Commissioner, Howard Rienstra, before remarrying and moving to Muskegon.

Settling in Muskegon, he raised a family and continued Freelance Writing. He also managed a Temporary Job Agency for a time. He began to lead Bible Studies and teach Sunday school for both children and adults. He wrote and taught about Bible and Church History. He even coached soccer for a couple of seasons.

Then he finished his Master's Degree in American History from Georgetown University and returned to the classroom becoming an Adjunct Professor of American History at Muskegon Community College, Baker College and Grand Valley State University, sharing his extensive knowledge and personal experiences with his students. He shared firsthand viewpoint of working in Washington during the years of the early Civil Rights Movement and the events around the assassinations of President Kennedy, his brother, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, including the Race riots of 1964, 1965, and 1968.

In retirement, Warren taught as a Substitute Teacher for various subjects. He also worked for the Red Cross and The United Way, where he did research into the history of United Way in Muskegon. As he aged Warren maintained his humor, often joking that he had finally found something he was not very good at – getting old, he told people to avoid it.

Warren has told his last story, cracked his last joke, analyzed his last current event and said good-bye to those teddy bears. However, Warren Darryl Westenberg's stories, jokes, and mischievous spirit will live in the memories of all who knew him. He believed that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (Paraphrasing II Corinthians 5:8) and he is now part of that "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) with family and friends who awaited him. To honor Warren's wishes cremation will take place and a private Memorial will be held. We invite you to celebrate Warren's memory in your own way.