EDITOR'S NOTE: This file will be updated throughout the month as new notices become available.

Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services

Deborah Ann Lamers
May 24, 1951-March 28, 2025

Deborah Ann (Stinson) Lamers, born May 24, 1951, died peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones following a long, courageous battle with cancer on March 28, 2025.

Debbie will be remembered for her fun and mostly inappropriate sense of humor, the love she had for her children, and as a season ticket holder for over 30 years - her love of Grand Valley State Football - especially her favorite Grand Valley player of all time, #86, split end, Michael Lamers.

Debbie started dating the love of her life, Mike, while she was in her "long black hair down to her butt era" when she was working at Meijer, or as us Midwesterners like to call it, Meijers. She worked at the company for over 36 years.

They wed in an epic Michigan blizzard on Dec. 8, 1972, and were happily married for the past 52 years. They started their life together in Standale, and then moved to Grand Haven, had a couple of kids, and moved from the little yellow house on North Cedar Drive to the blue house on Osborn Street and then added one more kid. They raised their family on ten little acres in the woods and they were happy. Over the years, they added an endless parade of cats, a handful of dogs, mostly beagles, and a pool. Their kids went off into the world to be hard-working people with happy lives and there isn't anything else a mother really wants for her children.

In her younger years, Debbie enjoyed playing softball and doing ceramics, but her clumsy kids broke most of her pieces. Debbie liked playing B-I-N-G-O, but she REALLY loved yelling “B-I-N-G-O!” She also loved Margarita Mondays at El Aztecas in Allendale and a good medium rare prime rib from The Crazy Horse in Holland.

She was an avid reader of trashy romance novels, and a dedicated watcher of "Law & Order" [In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories. DUN DUN.]

She enjoyed traveling, especially to Las Vegas to visit Josh and road trips to Okoboji, Iowa the past few years to celebrate the Fourth of July, as well as special vacations over the years with Mike to Aruba, and to the exotic destinations of Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and in 2004, a Mediterranean cruise with Mike and Josh to Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Rome, and Naples.

In recent years, Nana enjoyed nothing more than watching her grandsons in their endless choir, theater and sporting events. And she was at them all; on the bleachers, in the auditorium, at the stadium, on the sidelines, in the rain, or the scorching heat and all while recovering from chemo treatments. She was there cheering and funding trips to the concession stands with endless dollar bills for snacks and slushies.

When she was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in February 2024, she didn't know if she would see that spring season of baseball, or soccer, or the school play or spring choir concerts. She wasn't expecting to see any GVSU or Allendale football that fall, but she was there for all of it. And as the cherry on top, she got the entire winter season of wrestling. Everyone was grateful for the extra seasons. The extra days. The extra hours.

Debbie loved her family, her country, the veterans who sacrificed so much for all of us, the police officers who protect us, and the greatest president of all time, Donald J. Trump. Debbie was so happy to have lived long enough to cast her vote in the 2024 presidential election and then thrilled to make it to inauguration day! If you didn't smile then be sure to think of Debbie when you see those winning "Barron 2044!" signs in your future.

Debbie is survived by her faithful husband, Mike; her children, Joshua (Corlie) Lamers of Henderson, NV, Morgan (Kevin) Cisler of Allendale, MI, and Katie (Steven) TerMolen of Grand Haven, MI; grandchildren, Thomas, William, Michael and Jameson Cisler and Ava and Alice TerMolen. She leaves behind her best friends of more than 50 years, Doris Damaska, Mary Michalski and Janis Van Bennekom.

She is also survived by siblings: Mary McMillan, Sharon Weber, Walter (Brenda) Stinson, Theresa Lahring, Edward (Margie) Stinson, Tina (Franz) Blattner, and brother-in-law Del (Ann) Lamers.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Reinhold (Edith) Weidner, and her niece, Jennifer McConnon.

She will be warmly remembered as Aunt Wonderful by her nieces and nephews: Meghan Hershberger, Allison Watson, Matt, Aaron, and Anna Stinson, Carli England, Victoria Mense, Andrew Stinson, Christian, Andreas, and Thorsten Weidner.

We are certain that Mom was greeted at the pearly gates by "that damn dog" Libby and welcomed home to heaven by her very beloved grandmother, Catherine and of course, Jesus.

Please join Debbie's wonderful and somewhat Catholic family for an up-and-down, up-and-down, up-and-down funeral mass at St Luke's University Parish near the campus of GVSU in Allendale at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.

Visitation with family and friends will be held one hour prior to the mass at 10 a.m.

Luncheon will follow the mass.

St. Luke’s University Parish, 10144 42nd Ave., Jenison, MI 49428

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Debbie's honor to her faves: The Tunnel to Towers Foundation and GVSU Athletics.

Arrangements through The VanZantwick Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services, 620 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, MI. 49417. Please consider signing the family’s online guestbook and share memories at sytsemafh.com.