Roger J. Becksvoort

Roger Jay Becksvoort, 83, entered heaven clear-eyed and fully healed on December 1, 2024. A beloved husband, dad, grandpa, brother, and uncle, Rog was born on November 10, 1941 to John and Henrietta (Willink) Becksvoort of Holland. As a young man, Rog experienced the loss of his mother but gained an expanded family a few years later when his father married Gloria (Rigterink) Schipper. Rog married Patricia Blaauw on December 18, 1969. They had three sons, and were lifelong members of Graafschap Christian Reformed Church where Rog served several terms on the church consistory, taught Sunday School classes, and volunteered on the heritage committee. Roger graduated from Holland Christian High School, then Calvin College, earning his Education degree. He later earned a Masters Degree from Western Michigan University. He taught math for 37 years, most of them at Holland Christian Middle School. He was a volunteer firefighter with the Graafschap Fire Department for many years, and from 1976 to 1983 he also served on the board of the Holland Community Hospital. After retiring from teaching, he drove tour buses for a few years before retiring fully to spend time with his family, with his garden, and with his hobby of tinkering with old farm equipment. Rog was a scholar with a mathematician’s mind, finding and making patterns in everyday life, including his sons’ birthdays. He would buy flowers for Pat in quantities of different colors that revealed the number of their anniversary. He lamented (with a wink) that the 35th anniversary was not challenging enough: a dozen roses, 7 red and 5 white, 5x7=35. “Far too easy,” he chuckled. He loved his family, good music, black Labrador Retrievers, and John Deere tractors, particularly his 1940 Model H which his father had purchased new just before Rog was born. Giving the kids rides around the backyard was a source of great joy for him. But most of all, Roger was committed to his faith in God and his belief in the scriptures, passing it on to his children and his students at every opportunity. Rog is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Patricia, his sons and daughters-in-law Bob (Jen), Tim (Michelle), and Dave (Kathryn) Becksvoort, grandchildren Austin, Dylan, Caleb, Josiah, Abigail, Jack, Clara, Louise, and Cecilia, uncle Nathan Becksvoort, siblings Wayne (Jan) Becksvoort, Shirley (Bob) Vanden Bosch, Dell (Becky) Schipper, Norma (Jerry) Oosting, Carol (Don) Steele, and Kenni Blaauw, as well as many nieces and nephews. To view a livestream of the service, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@graafschapcrc. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, December 16, 2024, at Graafschap Christian Reformed Church, 5973 Church St. Holland with Rev. Philip Kok officiating. Burial will be in Graafschap Cemetery. Visitation will be 1-4 p.m. Sunday, December 15, at Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 E. 16th st. Holland. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Zuni Christian Mission School, the Holland Christian Schools vocal music department, or the Grand Haven Christian School vocal music department.

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Roger J. Becksvoort

November 10, 1941 - December 1, 2024