Joanne M. DeVries' Obituary
Joanne Marilyn DeVries was born to Thomas E. Sr. and Sophia W. DeVries on July 20, 1932 in Cleveland. She attended grade school at Garfield and received her high school education at John Marshall, graduating in 1950. She received her Bachelor Degree from Calvin College, Grand Rapids and her Masters Degree in Education from Western Reserve University, Cleveland.
Joanne devoted her life to teaching, initially in the Cleveland Public School System. She was principal/teacher at West Cleveland Christian School and concluded her career retiring from the Rocky River school district, where she was the recipient of the “Martha Holden Jennings Scholar” award.
addition, she devoted her life to caring for her parents, as well as vacationing with her family to places such as the Netherlands, to Irwin Inn at Lakefield Ontario Canada. She loved to work in her flower garden.
Joanne was a member of the West Park Christian Reformed Church her entire life. She was chairman of the visitation committee and participated in women’s Bible study. She was also a leader for Prime Time.
Joanne entered into rest peacefully on October 17, 2015. Both of her parents precede her in death.
She is survived by both of her brothers Thomas E. DeVries, Jr. and Richard E. (Georgian) DeVries, Sr.; her nieces and nephews Richard (Andrea), James (Pam), Jeffrey (Kelly), David (Julie), Linda (Fred) Klemencic, Thomas III (Laura), Donald and Philip (Yu Soon). Joanne was also blessed with fifteen great nieces and nephews, nine great-great nieces and nephews – and an abundance of loving, devoted friends.
VISITATION will take place on Friday, October 23, 2015, at Sunset Chapel, 6245 Columbia Rd, North Olmsted, from 4-7 PM. Private interment in Sunset Memorial Park. Memorial Service to follow at 1:00 PM, on Saturday, October 24, at Bay Presbyterian Church, 25415 Lake Road, Bay Village.
Memorial contributions suggested to The Gathering Place, 800 Sharon Drive, Westlake, OH 44145; or Hospice of The Western Reserve, 17876 St. Clair Ave, Cleveland, OH 44110-9915.
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