James Allen Sytsma, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend went home to be with Jesus after a long and courageous battle with cancer on September 1, 2026. He passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones holding the hand of his beautiful wife.

Jim was born in Tokyo, Japan, the youngest son of missionaries Richard and Dorothy Sytsma. He spent the first 18 years of his life attending the Christian Academy of Japan. Japan had a special place in his heart and he always considered it home. It was there where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Joy. Later they built a life in St. Johns, MI with their four treasured children.

Jim owned and managed two businesses in the mid-Michigan area, retiring after 40 years. He was a loving, compassionate, and empathetic man and led with those traits as an employer. He loved being a part of the community and valued the relationships he made with everyone who entered his stores.

He was a member of River Terrace Church in East Lansing for 48 years. His faith in Jesus Christ was the most important part of his life, guiding every thought and action. Jim’s spiritual gift was prayer, constantly praying for the people he knew and loved, and also people he had never met. When hearing about someone’s loved one going through a trial, Jim would begin praying for that person every day and regularly check in.

Jim was adored by his family, and had an extremely close relationship with all of his kids and grandchildren. He was a devoted, gentle, and loving Dad and Grandpa. He loved to hike with his wife and his dog Charlie, play card games with his children, play basketball in the driveway with his grandkids, and go on vacations out west. He had the best sense of humor, gave silly nicknames to his loved ones, and was pure fun. He was known for having a curious mind and could make easy conversation with anyone. He was a very forgiving person, never held a grudge, and made everyone feel special.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents Richard and Dorothy Sytsma and his sister Kathryn Sytsma. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Joy Sytsma, four children: Nicole (Dan Dault), Lee (Meghann), Anthony (Sara), and Katherine (Zach Westenbroek). Nine grandchildren: Maya and James Dault, Genevieve, Henry, and Will Sytsma, and Maxwell, Arlo, Miles, and Naomi Westenbroek. Four siblings: Rich (Sandy), Carolyn (Dale Poel), Phil (Ginger), and Ken (Jackie). Sister-in-law Rachel Stob.

A funeral will be held at River Terrace Church at 1509 River Terrace, East Lansing, MI on September 17, at 2pm. There will be no visitation. Light refreshments will be served directly afterwards. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Lansing City Rescue Mission.