Marcia M. Tardiff

Marcia Tardiff was a woman known by many, and a woman loved by all. Marcia was the kind of woman who immediately endeared herself to you, with the compassion and soothing bedside manner only a nurse could have. Her kind demeanor earned her the nickname "Auntie Nice" from those that knew her, but she was so much more than nice, so much more than good. Marcia could only be called great; a great mother, a great wife, and a great friend.

Marcia was born July 10, 1938 in Grand Rapids, one of six children to Roy and Mae Petersen. Times were tough then, in those days post World War II, and the Petersen's had to make do the best they could. Marcia's father was and accountant, but also raised chickens on the family farm for some extra income.

Marcia always had a great love of life, even from an early age. She always had that twinkle in her eye, of course, and as a child "Auntie Nice" could even be a bit naughty. She and her siblings would sometimes sneak into their father's hen house, swipe a few eggs, and then throw them at passing cars!

As a young girl she loved music, especially that newfangled "Rock & Roll"! And as you can imagine, she absolutely loved Elvis Presley (along with every other girl her age)! She was such an Elvis fan; her parents even let her stay home from church one day to watch The King on the Ed Sullivan Show. And in those days, especially, staying home from church was unheard of.

But Marcia survived her shenanigans (and Rock & Roll) unscathed, and graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School. She attended nursing school for two years and earned her LPN certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

She went to work in the birth center at Holland Hospital in 1969. Working in the birth center was the perfect place for Marcia, requiring the most caring, compassionate and loving people for the job. She loved working there, loved sharing in the joy of others. She worked right there in the Holland Hospital nursery's Boven Center until her retirement in 2002 - and then volunteered there for three years afterward! After she retired, Marcia realized how much she missed it, so volunteered to give hearing tests to newborns.

Marcia's personal life was blessed with children, as well. She was the proud parent of Rick and Rhonda, and Cal's children Peggy, Penny, Cal Jr., Gail-Marie, and Nikki. Sadly, Marcia was preceded in death by daughter, Gail-Marie. Marcia was also blessed with nine grandchildren - Jennifer, Danielle, Matt, Joseph, David, Christin, Ben, Jordan, and Kyan.

Marcia met her future husband, Calvin, at the Holland Elks Lodge, one of his favorite hangouts. Like everyone that met Marcia, Calvin was immediately struck by her kind demeanor - as well as her beauty. On March 3, 1986, the happy couple was married at the Holland District Court in a small ceremony, short but sweet. After the wedding, they honeymooned on the white-sandy beaches of Acapulco, Mexico, and settled in to a very loving marriage.

Calvin and Marcia were perfect for each other, and were both very social. Calvin belonged to many different organizations, the VFW Post, the Elks Lodge, the American Legion, the Moose Lodge, the Pioneer Club, and the Fraternal Order of Police. Marcia loved going out with Calvin to these places, and loved to socialize with all of her and Calvin's friends. And as you might expect, they loved having her there, too.

Marcia and Calvin loved to do lots of things together, of course. They loved to travel, and did quite often. The couple visited many places within the United States, as well as the Bahamas and Mexico, two of their favorite warm-weather destinations. Marcia also loved Las Vegas, loved all the lights, and the grand, exciting shows found there. She and Calvin had plans to visit there again in February.

But Marcia loved her quiet time, as well. She filled her mornings quietly listening to Talk of the Town and The Trading Post over her morning coffee. And she filled her free time with her many hobbies, including knitting, reading, or watching the basketball game on TV. Marcia was a huge fan of the Detroit Pistons, and loved watching them win the championship in 2004. She also loved just sitting and watching the wildlife in her yard out her window, all the birds and deer that visited her New Richmond home.

Marcia had a few favorite restaurants, as well, with Russ', the Salad Bowl and Bill Knapp's being her all-time favorites. A big supporter of the Holland community, Cal and Marcia were charter members of the Holland Museum, which they helped foster into the impressive landmark it is today.

Marcia had many loves in her life, the way people that love life do. But what she loved most, of course, was people. She had a heart of gold, and earned her nickname every day. She touched so many lives, as a nurse, as a mother, and as a friend. "Auntie Nice" was a truly special lady, and a woman loved by all. She was so much more than nice, more than good. Marcia could only be called great. And she will be greatly missed, and remembered, by all of those lucky enough to know her.

Marcia M. Tardiff, age 67, of New Richmond, died Tuesday, December 13, 2005. She was preceded in death by a daughter-Gail-Marie Tardiff. Surviving is her husband of 20 years, Calvin; Children, Rick Vander Veer of Northville, Rhonda and Rick Stygstra of Holland, Peggy Tardiff of Mocksville, NC, Penny and Bob Kloosterman of Zeeland, Calvin Tardiff Jr. of Gallatin, TN, and Melissa and Trevor Bussies of Holland; 9 grandchildren; Mother, Mae Petersen of Jenison; Brothers and sisters, John Petersen of Grand Rapids, Dolores and Mel Huizenga of Edmonton Alberta, Canada, Joyce Van Spronsen of Fremont, Tom Petersen of Georgetown, Dr. David and Laurie Petersen of Grand Rapids; Brother-in-law, Ray and Gail Tardiff of Holland; Sister-in-law, Rose Marie and Dr. Robert Albers of Holland; and several nephews, nieces, and cousins. Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Monday at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes Mulder Chapel, 188 West 32nd Street. Visitation will be 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the chapel. Memorials may be made to Bethany Christian Services-12048 James St.; Holland, MI 49424 www.bethany.org or ones choice.