September 15,1926 – May 28, 2024

Dick Kroon of Wayland, Michigan, passed away Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the age of 97. Funeral services were held Monday, June 3, 2024, at Zutphen Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan.

Dick Kroon was born to Dick and Gertie Kroon from Leota, Minnesota, on September 15,1926.  He had 9 years of schooling and then worked on the family farm until he was called for military service.  He was stationed on the Aleutian Islands at the end of WWII.  

After returning home he went back to school in Iowa, completing a year at Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa, and achieved his GED.  He attended Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, for a year. He worked at a bank in Kenneth, Minn., for 2 years. 

On December 30, 1951, he married Hazel Tinklenberg. They moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he spent a semester at Calvin College before teaching a year at East Martin Christian School. He spent another 3 years working at a bank in downtown Grand Rapids before moving to California where he completed his 4 years of college.  On the way back to Michigan they spent 14 months on one of his parent’s farms near Edgerton. During that time his father died from leukemia.  On returning to Michigan, they settled on a farm near Hudsonville, where they spent 43 years raising their family.  

In 1960 Dick started his 25 years as a Social Worker for the State of Michigan. After retiring he and his son, Rick, built 8 houses. The last one was built on Gun Lake where they have lived for the past 17 years.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 72 years, his 2 sons, Rick Kroon of Allegan, Michigan, and Dallas (Jennifer) Kroon of Wilmington, Delaware; his son-in-law, Douglas Popma, his grandchildren, Jason Popma (Suzanne), Jessica Koorndyk (Dan), Travis Popma (Maria), Lucas Kroon, Grace Kroon, Maya Kroon; and 6 great-grandchildren.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, two children: Orrin Kroon and Sandy Popma; and all of his siblings: Henrietta Hamm, Ann Lubben-Prins, Martha Brouwer, Jake Kroon, Adrianna Hamm-Swanson, and Rev. John Kroon.