The Importance of Family

Rich, Helen and some of their grandchildren gather around Rich's 80th birthday cake in this black and white photo.
Rich and Helen with some of their grandchildren. He once wrote of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren that they would “pray for them all every day – by name.”

While Rich was recognized around the world as a business leader, he felt his most important roles were as a husband and a father. He spoke with pride about his children’s faith, values and careers.

Just before his heart transplant in 1997, when asked by his surgeon his reasons for wanting to keep living, Rich answered that he wanted to see his grandchildren grow up.

He lived for more than 20 years after that. When he died in 2018, he had been blessed to spend time with not only his grandchildren, but also great-grandchildren. “Like all grandparents, I always loved to watch my grandchildren at play,” he said.

He made it a priority never to take his family for granted, always letting his wife, children and grandchildren know how much they meant to him.

Family remarks

His family released this statement upon his passing:

Our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Rich DeVos, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on September 6, 2018, at age 92.

Dad spread positivity everywhere he went and encouraged everyone he met. He did that for his children and grandchildren, and for countless others around the world. His positivity was a constant, motivating force that inspired many others to make meaningful changes in their own lives and communities. He was a visionary leader, builder, life enricher, motivator, and a champion for people from all walks of life.

Rich DeVos was many things to many people, but to us he was simply “Dad,” “Grandpa,” “Bumpa,” or “Papa Great.” We are deeply grateful and blessed beyond measure to have been loved unconditionally, raised, mentored, and inspired by him. He was a role model unlike any other.

While we are saddened by his passing, our hearts are full as we celebrate the extraordinary life he led. We are comforted that he is reunited with Mom, and that together they are experiencing the joy of eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dick, Dan, Cheri, Doug and Families

Rich was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, in October 2017. They are greatly missed by their children and their spouses Dick and Betsy, Dan and Pamella, Cheri, and Doug and Maria; grandchildren and their spouses Rick and Melissa, Elissa and Nate, Andrea, Ryan, Cassandra, Sydney, Cole, Hannah, Katie, Ben, Jessa, Addie, Dalton, Micaela and Jordan, Monreau, and Olivia; and several great-grandchildren.

Rich and Helen pose for a photo on a sailboat. Water is seen in the background.
Rich loved sailing and it became a family affair, with Helen and his children often joining him.
Rich, Helen and their teenage son Dick pose for a photo with multiple leis around their necks and an American Airlines plane visible in the background.
Rich’s family often accompanied him to Amway distributor celebrations at destinations around the world.
Rich and Helen and their son Dan DeVos and his wife, Pamella pose for a picture at an Orlando Magic basketball game.
Rich and Helen attend an Orlando Magic basketball game with their son Dan DeVos and his wife, Pamella. An entrepreneur like his father, Dan went into business for himself after serving as an executive at Amway for many years.
A black and white family photo of Rich, his parents and his sister, Bernice.
Rich DeVos with his younger sister, Bernice, and his parents, Simon and Ethel. Rich credited his lifetime of success and happiness to the presence of a strong, caring values-oriented family.
A baby picture of Rich DeVos in black and white.
Richard Marvin DeVos was born March 4, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, into a proud, hardworking Dutch American family.