Keith Vanoeveren

Although he was taken from his loved ones without warning, Keith VanOeveren made a significant impact in the lives of all who were near. He was a hardworking man who was an active part of his community and always willing to serve in ways both great and small. A devoted family man, Keith was an important part of his childrens lives, and later in life he was thrilled to become a grandfather as well. An avid outdoorsman, he was a no frills sort of guy who loved enjoying the great outdoors in every season. Deeply loved, Keith will be forever missed by all who were blessed to know and love him. The 1950s were a colorful time in American history. With televisions becoming part of our homes like never before, shows like Father Knows Best and I Love Lucy transformed the way we saw ourselves. This was the decade that Elvis became the king of rock n roll, Alaska and Hawaii officially became our 49th and 50th states, and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union got underway. Also during this exciting time was a time of excitement in the lives of Harold and Doris (KonynDyk) VanOeveren as they were eagerly anticipating the birth of a new baby as the calendar turned to welcome in the year 1958. The big day finally arrived when the baby boy they named Keith Duane was born on January 11th in Grand Haven, Michigan. Joining his older brothers Harold Butch, Dave, and Doug in the family, he became one of six children when his younger sisters, Linda and Julie, later came along. Keiths father left the family when Keith was just a young boy, which left his mother to raise her children on her own. She worked for General Electric in Holland, and in her absence there were multiple babysitters who came in to help care for Keith and his siblings. In many ways, Keith was a young boy of his generation. He was raised in a house on Gary Avenue in Grand Haven Township that would later become Keiths home. Like young boys so often are, Keith and his brothers could be a handful at times and found their fair share of mischief and trouble. The VanOeveren boys were known for pulling pranks on their sisters, having BB gun fights in the basement, knocking down bee hives, and putting firecrackers in mailboxes among other crazy acts. The boys became great friends in the process, and they remained as such throughout their entire lives. Keiths mother was sure they attended a nearby church, and for the rest of his life his faith was his constant companion. In order to earn some extra money for blue jeans in the fall, Keith picked blueberries during the summer. He also worked at Zelenka Nurseries, which is where he developed his lifelong love for gardening. As a teen he loved working on cars and became quite the mechanic who had several muscle cars to show for his efforts including a Road Runner, a Camaro and a Firebird. He attended local schools including Grand Haven High School where he took classes in woodworking and home building. After graduating from high school in 1976, Keith worked in a few different jobs before moving to Oklahoma where his brother lived. He found work there and settled right in. But shortly before he left Grand Haven Keith met the woman who would change the course of his life forever. Her name was Cindy Klobucher, and they met through mutual friends. They began dating, and it was when she stopped by to visit Keith in Oklahoma that the relationship deepened. Not long after, the sweethearts were married on May 31, 1981. Later that year they welcomed their son, Jeremie, into their hearts and home, and soon after they moved back to Grand Haven. Keith and Cindy hit a rough patch and divorced, but they later got back together and remarried in January of 1986. Together they were blessed with four more children, Chris, Benjamin, Jessica, and Stephanie. The VanOeveren family lived in downtown Grand Haven, and Keith eventually took a job with the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power. He made a career there that spanned 30 years until retiring in 2013. Keith was known for being a dedicated and hard worker who regularly worked extra shifts and overtime to provide a comfortable lifestyle for his family. Over the years he worked in several different positions including as a journeyman lineman, maintenance and coal handler. Keith and his family were members of Lakeshore Baptist Church where he was involved in the Awana program with his kids, volunteered as an usher, and also put his handyman skills to good use on various building projects thru the years. After his mother died in 1999, Keith moved his family into her house on Gary Avenue. Keith set right to work, expanding the house and taking on multiple remodeling projects in addition to building a barn in the backyard and putting on a deck just to name a few. Of course he did all the work himself. With a lifelong love for gardening, Keith kept a big garden in the yard and enjoyed growing vegetables and fruits, donating much of his yield to friends. In addition to keeping busy around the house, Keith enjoyed pursuing other interests as well. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. Keith was a master anger and an accomplished deer and turkey hunter as well since he got a deer almost every year including an eleven point buck last year. Keith took care of the processing himself, and he also did this for others, too. He liked taking out his Lund fishing boat out, especially when he took his kids out fishing for walleye and salmon. Keith and Cindy regularly socialized with friends from church, and he also enjoyed spending time with his brothers. When his children were growing up he was there for all of their events and activities, and being there for all of his grandchildrens events also kept him busy later in life. Even if they werent really doing anything at all, Keith just loved being with his grandchildren. After retiring, he had more time for watching hunting shows on television, spending time in their backward pool, riding his Harley-Davidson, or tinkering on his snowmobile. With unending love for his family and friends, Keith VanOeveren was an extraordinary man to know and love. His loved ones meant the world to him, and he was sure to never miss his beloved wifes birthday or their anniversary. Keith worked hard, but he played hard, too, and his love for life was contagious. He will never be forgotten. Keith Duane VanOeveren died on Thursday, January 21, 2016. Keiths family includes his wife, Cindy; sons, Jeremie VanOeveren of Houston, Chris (Amanda) VanOeveren of Fruitport, Benjamin VanOeveren of Grand Haven; daughters, Jessica (Derek) Moore of Muskegon, Stephanie VanOeveren of Grand Haven; grandchildren, Brody, Brinna, Addilyn, Ethan; brothers, Harold "Butch" VanOeveren, Dave (Paula) VanOeveren, Doug VanOeveren; sisters, Linda Nowakowski, Julie (John) Doebel. Keith was preceded in death by his mother, Doris. Services will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, 11:00 a.m. at Lakeshore Baptist Church with Pastor Wayne Muri officiating. Interment in Lakeshore Cemetery. Visit with Keiths family and friends on Monday, January 25, 2016, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Lakeshore Baptist Church. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book. Arrangements provided by Clock Funeral Home - Grand Haven.