Mary J. DeJong Obituary

A memorial service will be held with the date and time to announced shortly. Memorial contributions may be given to Centrica Care Navigators (Rose Arbor), in c/o the funeral home.

Age 85 of Kalamazoo, passed away Friday evening, October 25, 2024. Mary was born in Grand Rapids on January 21, 1939, the daughter of William and Helene (Raterink) Blouw. On June 3, 1960, she married Robert DeJong who preceded her in death. Mary was a school bus driver for Martin, Otsego and Plainwell Schools and was Transportation Supervisor for Schoolcraft Community Schools, a career that spanned over 40 years. She was an avid knitter and had made several afghans while waiting for school teams to be done with their games. She and Bob enjoyed going camping and had several favorite destinations. Mary loved visiting the Music Barn in Martin where she enjoyed listening to music of all kinds. Mary is survived by her son, Kenneth (Kit) DeJong; daughter-in-law, Denise Atwood; grandchildren, Adam (Ashley), Amanda, Damian (Christina), Eric (Codi), Kyle (Chela) and Tyler; six great-grandchildren; sister, Jane (Tim) Hawkins; brother, William "Bill" (Lou Ellen) Blouw; several nieces and nephews; and countless friends, including her fiance, Larry Heyns. Besides her husband, Mary was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Robert.