James Spoelstra

Spoelstra, James Edward 10/2/1925 - 6/8/2022, age 96 rose to glory on June 8, 2022.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents Claude Nicholas and Helen (Post) Spoelstra, brothers Stuart (Helene) Post, Phillip (Jackie) Spoelstra; sisters Marian (Paul) Hale and Genevieve (Rudy) Carter.
Wife of 52 years Ruth (LaHuis) Spoelstra, and wife of 17 years Lois (Fennema) Spoelstra. Daughter-in-law Mary (Snip) Spoelstra.
Thankful for their father’s life of faith, and leading them to faith, he leaves sons Ronald Spoelstra (Peg) and Daniel Spoelstra (Joanie), seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, two, soon to be three, great-great grandchildren. Through Ron’s second marriage, Jim added four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota. He also studied with distinguished portrait artist Samuel Edmund Oppenheim. Jim became a well-known West Michigan portrait artist, teaching at various schools including Kendall School of Design. Jim was a graphic artist who retired from Spartan Graphics at age 48 to pursue his true love, a life of art. He painted more than one thousand commissioned oil portraits, including Gerber babies and government leaders in Grand Rapids. He earned recognition by the American Portrait Society.
He will be remembered for being a kind and gracious gentleman, who truly desired to live like Jesus.
The family will celebrate his life with a private service at a later date.