David Lohr

A caring and much loved man with a giving heart, David Lohr loved helping people. He spent his life caring for those in need, whether he was working with children at the YMCA, counseling those on the street or doing mission work in the Appalachian Mountains. David was a devote Christian and his greatest passion was to inspire others through the word of God, which he himself so deeply believed in.

David Lohr was born in Freemont, Illinois, on August 10, 1938, to proud parents, Harry and Loretta (Sinner) Lohr. Little brother, Delmar, later joined the Lohr family. David and Delmar loved to go outdoors as children; they could be found having fun in the creek nearby, playing with their dog or having a little brotherly wrestling match. David worked on the family farm by helping to raise the sheep. He received his formal education in the Forreston Public Schools. Besides studying hard as a good student, David played the Tuba and Baritone in his high school band and was a member of the 4H club. After graduating, David attended the University of Wisconsin for one year before enlisting in the Air Force. He and his first wife, Ruth Ann, were stationed in Lubbock, Texas for 4 years until his discharge. It was around 1976 when David, Ruth Ann, and their 4 children, Alan, Susan, Diane, and Brian, moved to Holland, Michigan, to fulfill a calling he had to attend Western Theological Seminary.

David’s life took a new direction in 1981 when he was introduced to a wonderful woman named Carol. It was just before Thanksgiving and Carol was in bed sick, but her two boys, Robert and Richard, begged her to come and meet this guy on their bowling team. Much to her delight, they met and arranged their first date of dinner and dancing. Their love for each other grew stronger every day and they married in 1982 in the Methodist church. David took to Carol's boys as she took to his four children, and accepted them into each others families. It was no secret that David was an excellent father. He always wanted to spend time with his children and stayed active in all of their lives. David worked hard to support his family at Baker Furniture for many years. Despite having a steady job and being happily married, David never let go of his dream to help those who were troubled or just needed help through counseling. He had an opportunity to pursue this dream in 1987 after their youngest child was married. David would joke with his children that it was time for them to build their own lives. So, David and Carol packed their belongings and headed for Florida to support the mission work with the YMCA working with children. David had such a special connection with the children he helped and they affectionately called him “Papa.” They thought he reminded them of Papa Smurf because he wore a blue shirt every day. Pretty soon the young and the old were referring to him as Papa. In 1991, David and Carol moved to North Carolina to continue their mission work with the Mountain Church, which also took them into the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.

All the time David and Carol were pursuing their many opportunities to help those in need, their children couldn’t help but try to persuade them to come home and be with their grandchildren. The Lohr children use to joke that maybe if they kept having more grandchildren they would have to come home. David and Carol couldn’t ignore the pulling of their heartstrings any longer and didn’t want their grandchildren to grow up not knowing the love of their grandparents. So in 1994, to the elation of their children, they returned home to Holland. David was a student of knowledge and was constantly trying to learn more about things that he didn’t know much about. He attended the University of Illinois for a short time and he took his learning to the streets to counsel anyone who was in need of help. David and Carol often vacationed in Florida visiting with friends they made over the years in their mission work. David also enjoyed working with wood and could make beautiful ornaments and plaques with his little scroll saw that he lovingly gave as gifts.

Besides being a dedicated husband, father and grandfather, David was also a devote Christian and lived every day of his life proclaiming the glory of God. He enjoyed being a Deacon in the Bethel Reformed Church in Holland. He also served as a Deacon and Elder in the Congregational Church in Saugatuck and became a member of the Saugatuck United Methodist Church.

Of all the wonderful things in David’s life, spending time with loved ones towered above the rest. He was a man of few words, but his deeds and actions were an inspiration to those that knew and loved him. David often lent his sense of humor to put a smile on is family’s faces when on a whim he started turning cartwheels or silly deer jumps. He was a natural source of love, comfort and hope for so many others.

He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Carol Lohr; children: Alan and Kathy Lohr of Mayer, AZ; Susan and Mike Childress of Holland, MI, Diane and Greg Schrotenboer of Holland, MI, and Brian and Laurie Lohr of Holland, MI; step children: Robert and Jan Bradham of Cottageville, SC, and Richard and Sue Bradham of Holland, MI; 15 grandchildren; a brother, Delmar Lohr of Forreston, IL; father-in-law, Albert and Gwen Brookhouse of Holland, MI; in-laws: Norma and Bill Fitts of Holland, MI, Marie and Ron Ricketts of Florida, Joann and Paul McMillan of Michigan, Linda Porteous, of Nevada, Wanda and Robert Hoesley of Holland, MI, and Albert and Sandy Brookhouse of Holland, MI; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be on Monday, December 29, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Mulder Chapel, Dykstra Funeral Homes, 188 West 32nd Street, Holland, MI. Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, at 2:00 p.m., at the Mulder Chapel. Burial will be in Restlawn Memorial Gardens. Please visit David’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to Hospice House of Holland, 270 Hoover Blvd. Holland, MI.

David was a wonderfully compassionate man who dedicated his life to his family and his faith. Although his presence will be dearly missed, his spirit will live on through the many lives he touched. As he lives on in heaven, he will also live on in our hearts.