Peter Deritter

Peter DeRitter of Comstock Park, Michigan— loved by his family and friends and faithful to his God — died of cancer Nov. 13, 2023, at 74.

He was born Nov. 22, 1948, in Paterson, New Jersey, to Elmer and Lena (Soodsma) DeRitter and grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

When he was young, Pete and his family spent their summers at Green Pond, where he enjoyed swimming, waterskiing, rock climbing, playing tennis and spending time with his many friends. As a teenager, he worked at Les and Gert Oostdyk's boat repair shop, where he was a wiz at repairing motors. Green Pond held some of Pete’s fondest memories.

In the winter, Pete loved to go skiing. He taught his sister to ski, and they spent many Saturdays having downhill adventures at Silvermine Ski Area as their parents kept warm in the lodge.

Pete graduated from Eastern Christian High School in 1966. After graduating from Calvin College in 1970, he decided to continue living in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He worked at Arden’s Camera Store and then at the Camera Center. During this time, he became the photographer for Animal Kingdom Wildlife Refuge, where he met Diane Swedek, who became his wife in 1975.

They settled in Grand Rapids and opened Mirage Photography, a commercial photography studio and darkroom business. Pete also sold real estate.

In June 1983, the family was involved in a car accident that resulted in serious injuries to his wife and his mother. This changed the course of Pete’s life. He reaffirmed his faith, and he and Diane adopted Amanda Jo in 1984 and Christopher Lee in 1987, both from South Korea.

In 1987 Pete and his family moved to a small farm in Comstock Park, where he lived for 36 years. They had an organic truck garden; raised hogs, turkeys and chickens; and boarded horses. Pete was also an avid fisherman, gardener, woodworker and traveler and continued to be an avid snow-skier into his sixties.

While living in Comstock Park, he worked at the Grant Farm Market, Flowerland and finally at Lowe’s Home Improvement. After his retirement from Lowe’s, Pete and Diane purchased and renovated rental properties for the next 11 years.

In his later years, Pete joined the Grand Rapids Model Train Historical Society, where he enjoyed the camaraderie. Building model train layouts and running the trains became a passion.

Pete was a good son, brother, husband, father and friend to many. He truly loved getting to know people and was genuinely interested in their lives. He stayed in touch with people, whether he had met them in kindergarten or just last year.

He also had long-lasting musical tastes, being a longtime fan of Johnny Cash and John Prine. When Prine came to the State Theatre in Kalamazoo, Pete placed a basket of peaches on the stage in a sweet reference to Prine's lyrics "Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches, try to find Jesus on your own." Pete was a good man who tried his best to live his Christian faith. In his youth, he attended Midland Park Christian Reformed Church and Green Pond Chapel. After his daughter Amanda was found to have learning disabilities, he struggled to find a church that ministered to people of all abilities as God would want, so he later helped to establish the kind of church he was looking for. In April 2021, Pete and Amanda joined the Core Team at City Hope GR, a church plant in Grand Rapids that gives people of all abilities the opportunity to both attend and participate in services. The church embraced and supported Pete as he and his family journeyed through Pete’s cancer.

Pete had two missions in the last year of his life and applied all the energy he had to these two causes. One was to establish a Disability Resources Symposium where families could find resources for their disabled young and adult children in one place. This has become a reality, with the symposium to be held at City Hope GR in February 2024. The second was to establish Amanda Jo’s House, a home for young women who have cognitive and learning disabilities. Pete wanted to ensure his daughter had a home to live in long after he was gone. That work was started but will require more time to complete. It is a project Diane will carry on.

In addition to Diane, his wife of 48 years, Pete is survived by his children, Amanda Jo and Christopher Lee; sister, Margaret; sister-in-law, Lori; a niece and nephew and their children; and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Elmer.

Cremation has already occurred. A Celebration of Pete’s Life is planned for 11 a.m. Dec. 9 at City Hope GR, 1020 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, where Pete was a member. Before the service, visitation will start at 10 a.m. After the service, everyone is welcome to lunch and fellowship. In accord with Pete’s last wishes, ham buns will be served.

Memorial donations may be made online at www.cityhopegr.org or by check to City Hope GR, 1020 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.