Philip Persenaire

Philip Persenaire memorial service live stream link for service August 19, 2023, at 11:00 AM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7a-bIWSD90 Philip Persenaire memorial service livestream (Service took place July 22, 2023, in MA) https://youtube.com/live/W79HAJukzi0?feature=share Life Story of Philip Persenaire 1933-2023 Philip Persenaire was born November 6, 1933, to Rev. Adam and Dora Persenaire. They lived in a rural community in Eastmanville, Michigan. Phil's father was the minister at Eastmanville, CRC, and his mother was a nurse which came in handy with such a large family. They had 12 children, 8 boys and 4 girls. The children were all born about a year apart. Case, Ted, Dave, Ade, and Phil were the first 5 children born. Next arrived Jess, Paul, Betty, Dorothy, Bob, and Helen. Phil's parents were devout Christians, and devoted to their family. The children never lacked for friends because they had each other and many neighborhood friends. When Phil started kindergarten, he attended a one room schoolhouse. His brother Ted told him to stay behind at recess and head for home. Ted told him he wouldn't learn anything anyway. So Phil took his brother's advice and skipped school. His mother asked why he was home so early. He told her they got out early. But soon the teacher caught on and Phil remained in school after recess. At age 13, Phil's father took a call to be a home missionary for the Christian Reformed Church in Canada which brought the family to Ontario. Phil received his secondary education at St. Catherine's Collegiate School. He then attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, receiving his BA degree in Education, majoring in English and History. He later attended The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to attain his master's degree. After graduation, he taught a short time at Roseland Christian School near Chicago. He was then drafted into the Army in 1956 and served at Travis Airforce Base in California, working on guided missiles. In June 1957, Phil took a furlough and went to Muskegon, Michigan where he married Lois Harmsen. They had met at Calvin College and Loie had been teaching at Muskegon Christian Grade School. Their honeymoon was travelling back to Fairfield, California. They had a 26 foot trailer which you could hardly turn around in, but it was home for 18 months. Jim was born the following year. Phil was called the man with the pink apron because he hung diapers on the line wearing Loie's apron. Phil found this humorous that the neighbors teased him. When Phil was discharged from the Army, he took a job teaching English Literature and Grammar at Holland Christian High School in 1958 where he taught for the next 37 years. He also coached Boys and Girls Cross Country teams. Phil's style of coaching and encouraging his runners was by riding along with his runners on his moped. For many years Phil invited his cross country teams for dinner at their house to celebrate the end of the Cross Country season. He also enjoyed being the official score keeper for all the HCHS home basketball games. After many of the games, they gathered with other teachers and friends for food and conversations at each other’s homes, everyone bringing a dish. After accepting the teaching job back in Holland, their family grew. Tom was born about a year after Jim, and Lori the following summer. They first lived on Central Avenue, then on 19th Street before they moved a few years later to 32nd Street where they resided for the next 57 years. Phil was a devoted father. Both Phil and Loie faithfully raised their children to love the Lord. Daily Bible reading and prayer, Sunday worship and fellowship at Bethany CRC, and a strong commitment to Christian education was the anchor of their family life. Phil was involved in his children's lives, nurturing and teaching of Christ's love and mercy. Phil loved the church and was an Elder and choir member of Bethany and Central Avenue Christian Reformed churches in Holland, Michigan. He loved participating in the choir at Central Avenue for many years. He enjoyed singing hymns throughout much of his life, wherever he was. As a church Elder, he enjoyed visiting and talking with many parishioners in their homes. Early in his teaching years, he started painting during the summers with 3 other teachers, and later with his brother Bob and nephews. He painted houses, churches, and barns all over Michigan and even went out of state sometimes for paint jobs. He painted Tom and Sue's house in Lynn, Massachusetts as well as other relatives and friends. After he retired, he painted different buildings at the Rehoboth Christian School in New Mexico for several years in the fall. Perhaps it was all the climbing up and down ladders over the years that eventually caused him to need both hips replaced. Phil was close to his family. He and Loie spent most Friday evenings in Grand Rapids, visiting his brothers and sisters, talking religion, politics, and playing cards. These get-togethers were important to him. For more than 50+ years, the siblings and families spent two weeks every summer at a large cluster of cottages on Diamond Lake, in White Cloud, Michigan. Phil was always in charge of booking the reservations and assigning each family their cottage. He also enjoyed showing vacations slides during the evenings, some pictures upside-down or backward, providing monotone narrations that everyone found amusing. Phil and Loie had a good marriage and were very happy. When Phil turned 50, Loie threw him a surprise birthday party. Many friends came, and he received many gag presents, in which he enjoyed the humor. But they also faced significant life storms. In 1980, their daughter Lori was diagnosed and died of cancer at age 20. When Lori was in the hospital for the last 13 weeks, Phil drove to the hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan every day after teaching school to visit her. Then in 2003, their son Jim died at the age of 45 years old. Both of these losses strengthened their faith and brought them closer to God. Phil and Loie loved to travel. They drove to all 49 mainland states and flew to Hawaii. They also travelled with family to England, France, Germany, and a nephew's wedding in the Czech Republic. Phil also went on a mission trip to Uganda in 2010 where he painted buildings at the Uganda Orphanage. There he met a young orphan girl Juliette, who they supported for many years. Phil enjoyed woodworking after he retired from teaching. He acquired his knowledge and skill from his grandfather Doezema who was a skilled craftsman. Phil had a workshop added on to the garage where he spent many hours building furniture for his family. There he built a hope chest, a baby cradle, a couple of kitchen islands, as well as cabinets, dressers, and beautiful tables and shelves. Some of these items Phil and Loie took with them to Massachusetts years later. Phil loved planting a large garden in his backyard every year. He planted many vegetables and flowers. One summer he planted dwarf fruit trees which yielded fruit for many years. He and Loie both enjoyed canning and eating much of what they harvested. In 2016 Phil was diagnosed with dementia. The disease slowly progressed for the next few years. Eventually much of Phil's speech and his memory became more impaired. In 2021 Tom and Sue wanted Phil and Loie to move out East to be by them. So, in June of 2022, the house was sold, and Tom and Sue helped pack them up. They moved into a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment with many amenities, at Brooksby Village, a senior living community in Peabody, Massachusetts. They soon joined West Church (Tom, and Sue's church.) Every Wednesday morning Tom drove Loie to the Women's Bible Study where she made many new friends. While Loie was at Bible Study, Tom took Phil for long walks, haircuts, and shopping trips. Later, Tom stayed many nights due to Phil's increased restlessness so Loie could get some sleep. Tom also assisted his dad with personal care as well as medical appointments. Phil loved being with Tom and Sue's family for dinners and family gatherings. He immensely enjoyed watching the great-grandchildren who doted on him. The first few months Phil seemed to adjust to the move, but it was obvious by Christmas his dementia was progressing. In April he moved into Brooksby Village Memory Care. After a few weeks, he was sent to series of 4 hospitals where they treated him for combativeness, and infections. He soon developed blood clots in both legs. On June 21, their 66th wedding anniversary, they shared some ice cream together. Phil passed away a week later on Tuesday, June 27. He is now with his Heavenly Father. Philip was preceded in death by parents Adam and Dora Persenaire, in-laws Benjamin and Alice Harmsen, step-mother Connie Harmsen, brothers Daniel, Case (Jean), David (Joyce), Ted (Gladys), Bob, sister Betty Vriend, brother-in-law Neal Helmus, brother-in-law Gerald Harmsen, brother and sister-in-law Dale and Shirley Buit. Also preceded in death daughter Lori Jean and son James Philip, and great grandson Jaxson James Persenaire. He is survived by his beloved wife Lois of 66 years, son Tom (Sue), daughter-in-law Mary Tullila, brothers Adrian (Delia), Paul (Iris), sisters Jess Helmus, Dorothy VanderKruk (Art), Helen, brother-in-law Harry Vriend, and sister-in-law Carol. Grandchildren: Philip (Kristina), Matthew (Ashley), Joshua, Jenette Bourckel (Patrick), Bethany Kenney (Joel), Benjamin (Susan) and 17 great-grandchildren, and many nephews, nieces, and friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 22, at 11:00 am at West Church, 27 Johnson Street, Peabody, MA 01960. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30-10:30am prior to the service. A memorial service will be held on August 19 at 11:00 am at Central Avenue CRC, 259 Central Avenue, Holland, Michigan 49423. Visitation will be held at the church 9:30-10:30am prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to West Church, in Peabody, MA., Central Avenue CRC, and Holland Christian Schools in Holland. Burial at Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan. Local arrangements are by Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home and condolences may be left online at www.langelandsterenberg.com

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Philip Persenaire

November 6, 1933 - June 27, 2023