Kelly Neuman

Kelly Neuman was a well-known man as his outgoing and friendly disposition led him into countless friendships that were such a meaningful part of his life. He had tremendous amounts of both strength and courage, especially when it came to leading a normal life when faced with health struggles for many years. Kelly was kind and generous, always willing to help a friend in need in ways both great and small. Although he was a dedicated worker throughout much of his life, Kelly lived his life to have fun with those whom he was blessed to call his friends and family. In many ways, the 1970s were a turbulent time in America as our nation continued to become more divided in its opinion on the Vietnam War. In Vietnam, our nations troop level continued to decrease with it falling just below 157,000 by 1971. It was on August 16th of that year that a baby boy was born in Vietnam who was named Lam Duc Loi. Lam was orphaned at an early age as the war was drawing to a close. These were not easy times for him as he experienced many traumatic events during his earliest years. When he was three-and-a-half years old, Lam was brought to the United States during Operation Babylift. Through the help of the Holt Adoption Agency in Grand Rapids, Lam was adopted by Ray and Nancy (Bethke) Neuman who had received just two days notice that this young boy was arriving to join their family. Ray and Nancy welcomed Lam with open arms, sight unseen. Now Kelly Loi Neuman, he joined seven-year-old sister Rae Lynn as well as his sister Jody who had been adopted from Korea and was just nine months older than Kelly. Kellys father worked at the Walter Hagen Factory in Grand Rapids making golf clubs while his mother stayed home to care for the children and their household needs. Kelly was raised in the family home in Zeeland and picked up the language quickly, although he always had trouble with pronouncing the letter R, which is not used in the Vietnamese language. As a young boy, Kelly enjoyed a life quite typical for the youth of his generation. He made friends in the neighborhood, enjoyed riding bikes, swimming, and playing in the pond across the street. Kelly was quite a fisherman who made homemade fishing poles with a stick, string, and a safety pin for a hook. He caught plenty of fish over the years using bread for bait. Kelly also hunted frogs and snapping turtles in the pond, always in search of the elusive, larger than life snapper he called Big Bertha. As a family, the Neumans liked to camp at various places throughout Michigan. They regularly packed all the kids and the tents into a Ford Pinto and headed out for their next camping adventure. The family also enjoyed Saturday night family nights where all the kids helped make homemade pizza followed by an evening of movies that they all watched together. For his formal education, Kelly attended Roosevelt Elementary School followed by Zeeland Middle School and High School. While there, he was a welcome addition to the tennis team as he was a very good player. Kelly also made many friends throughout his years in school. He was always thinking of others ahead of himself and was willing to help out a friend in need. After graduating from high school in 1989, Kelly went on to take classes at Grand Rapids Community College, but after a few semesters he got a job making chairs at Steelcase and stopped taking classes. He was a dedicated employee and knew how to perform a wide variety of tasks at work. Kelly lived in various places in the area including Grandville, Wyoming, Jenison, and finally, Grand Haven. He dated several different girls through the years and almost married at one time, but was still in search of his true companion. Life was a bit challenging for Kelly at times as he suffered with kidney issues for many years. At the age of 22, he went on dialysis while still maintaining his full-time job. When he was 30, Kelly underwent a kidney transplant, but there came a time when he needed to quit working and went on disability. As his condition worsened over the years, he moved back home with his parents while gaining the strength to go out on his own again. Kellys health finally led him to live in an adult foster care facility in order to receive the more hands-on care he required. Although in many ways Kellys health challenged him, he never let it hold him back from the joy he experienced in everyday life. He had numerous adult friendships that he worked hard to maintain. Kelly had a blue four wheel drive pick-up truck that he was very proud of. He loved using his truck to help his friends haul whatever they needed or to just stop by for a visit. Those who knew Kelly knew that his cell phone was a bit like an appendage as he was always keeping in touch with his friends, even during the sunset of his life. He was a huge Ohio State Buckeye fan and also enjoyed watching NASCAR racing. Just this past January, Kelly underwent open heart surgery and had a pacemaker put in. This put a tremendous strain on his body, causing him to go on dialysis once again. Eventually, his body could no longer overcome the fight put before it, even though his strong and courageous spirit certainly would have led him to victory. Kelly Neuman was a fun-loving man with a spirit that could never be broken. He was opinionated and could even be sarcastic at times, yet his heart was as big as they come. Kelly was a stranger to none and a friend to all with his friendly demeanor and generous touch. Although his days numbered far less than many are given, his impact on the world around him was no less significant. Kelly will be dearly missed and warmly remembered by all who knew and loved him. Kelly L. Neuman died on June 2, 2010. Kellys family includes his father, Raymond Neuman of Grand Haven; sisters, Rae Lynn (Mateo) Mancilla of Grand Haven, Jody (Craig) Aamlie of MN; nieces, Mercedes Mancilla & Madeleine Aamlie; nephew, Fisher Mancilla; and grandmother, Dorothy Bethke. Kelly was preceded in death by his mother, Nancy (Bethke) Neuman. A service will be held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 7:00 p.m. at the Clock Life Story Funeral Homes - Grand Haven location Grand Haven, MI, with Rev. Ken Shady officiating. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to the family.