Keith Koetsier

Keith Allen Koetsier was a man who loved life and it showed. He adored his family, spent time with friends, and was active in his community. Being a mail carrier got him around the city, but it was Keiths generous heart and lively spirit that worked their way into the lives of all who knew him. Keith was born at a time when America was enjoying the peace and prosperity of post-WWII optimism. Growth in industry and jobs gave workers the opportunity to build homes and start families that launched the baby boom era. In Grand Haven, Michigan, Thomas and Edith (Yager) Koetsier were already blessed by the birth of their son, Tom, when they welcomed Keith Allen into their hearts and lives on May 15, 1954. The two boys had a fun childhood, secure in the care of their stay-at-home mom and in the work their dad did at Dake Corporation. Keiths energy for sports and recreation was fostered during his school years. His time on the golf team at Grand Haven High School was the beginning of a lifetime of enjoyment. As an active, free-spirited teen, Keith attracted lots of friends in high school. One young woman was especially drawn to his good looks and rebellious personality. Kathy Tuenis rose to the challenge of getting Keiths attention as he played hard-to-get. It took just one date to the golf course to convince Keith. Afterward, he jokingly said, I guess youll do. The two of them have been together ever since. From high school, Keith went to Western Michigan University, where he played on the golf team. After two years, he returned to Grand Haven and soon took on the responsibilities of marriage and family. Keith and Kathy were married on February 17, 1973 at First Reformed Church, and their lovely daughter Stacy Lynne was born later that year. For the first few years of married life, Keith worked several different jobs to provide for his young family before settling into a career as a mail carrier. A dedicated employee of the U.S. Postal Service for over 31 years, Keith took pride in his work and was a part of every neighborhood in Grand Haven. By his job, his fondness for golf, and his outgoing personality, Keith made many friends in the community. He spent as much time as he could on the golf course as a member of Grand Haven Golf Club, and he excelled as club champion on several occasions. As a result, Keith built up quite a trophy collection from tournaments he played throughout Michigan. At times, it got to be a family affair. Grandparents took care of baby Stacy while Kathy went to the tournaments, sometimes driving the cart for Keith. The two of them enjoyed being out together, especially dining with friends. Because Keith liked classic rock music, they frequented the Rosebud and Kirby Grill to listen to live bands. Knowing some of the local band members made it fun, and after a few beers, Keith could even be convinced to get out on the dance floor with Kathy. Keith maintained a very active lifestyle. He did renovation projects around the house and landscaping jobs in the yard. He played on inner-city basketball leagues in Grand Haven and liked watching most any sport. If games were on, the TV was on, and dinner was scheduled around sporting events. Come March Madness, Keith joined his buddies at work and put a few dollars in the championship pool. He was truly a sports fanatic. With his love for sports, it was only a matter of time before Keith got his daughter involved. He taught Stacy to play tennis and golf. He was especially proud when she scored a hole-in-one when she was only 9 years old. For several years when she was young, Keith also coached Stacys softball team, The Red Birds. He was very passionate about coaching and ran the team like they were professionals. Keeping statistics on their performance showed the girls that Keith had high expectations of them. The team members loved him. They achieved their potential, winning league championships for 5 years. Kathy was their #1 fan, coming to the games and serving everyone Kool Aid. Because Keith, Kathy and Stacy did so many things as a family, they remained close. When Stacy was young, they took vacations to Florida or other places, and when she went off to school and a career, Keith and Kathy still visited her. They dropped in on her at Michigan State, particularly when sporting events were scheduled. After college, Stacy lived in Washington DC, then Chicago andyou guessed it. Being a big fan of Chicago Cubs baseball and Washington Redskins football, Keith often made a point of taking in a game when he and Kathy visited their daughter. Most recently when Stacy moved to London, Keith and Kathy had the wonderful opportunity to take their first international trip. Early in the summer of 2007, they visited Stacy in London and took in Paris as well. They created many memories as a family and will cherish them more and more. With no warning on October 29th, while watching TV at home with Kathy, Keith was stricken with an aneurysm and died. Keith was a wonderful husband and father, a great friend and beloved member of his community. All who know and love him will miss his infectious joy and energetic spirit. Keith Allen Koetsier, 53, of Grand Haven died on Monday, October 29, 2007 at his home. Survivors include his wife of more than 34 years, Kathy Anne Koetsier, his daughter, Stacy Lynne Koetsier, his brother, Tom (Clare Wade) Koetsier, his father-in-law, Warren Teunis, his brothers-in-law, Gary Teunis and Dan (Lisa) Teunis, his sister-in-law, Karen (Tom) Mastenbrook, and several nieces and nephews; Allison Koetsier, Amie (Matt) VanAmberg, Lucas Crum, Alex Crum, Brian (Rachel) Teunis and Amanda (Brian) Wojczynski. He was preceded in death by both parents, Thomas Donald and Edeth Koetsier and his mother-in-law, Barbara A. Teunis. A service to celebrate Keiths life will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2007, 11:00 AM at First Reformed Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association to aid in the research and prevention of aneurysms. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.