Reggie Hicks

Reggie Hicks was a patient, gentle man, quiet yet confident, caring and contented. Reggie was a proud veteran, a loving husband and father, and a faithful friend. Most of all, Reggie understood that life is a journey, a journey to be enjoyed, and a journey that’s always best to share.

Reggie’s story began on a warm summer day in 1918, in the little lakeside town of Magnetawan Ontario, Canada, nestled in the Algonquians. Those were times of trial and triumph, which saw the defeat of the Germans and their allies, and the end of World War I, which brought so much hardship to so many. On July 24, 1918, Robert and Amy Hicks had even more reason to celebrate, with the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Reggie Allan La Verne Hicks.

Reggie was one of six boys born to the family, and enjoyed growing up in the Great White North of Ontario, several hours north of Toronto. It was a very woodsy place, and Reggie remembered vividly hearing the wolves howling in the distance as he walked to school on those cold snowy mornings.

Like so many of his generation, Reggie attended school through the tenth grade, and went to work to help his family. Eventually, Reggie grew into a fine young man, and made his way to America, looking for a better life than Magnetawan offered.

As the darkening skies of World War II thundered upon our shores, Reggie took up the fight for his new homeland, and entered the United States Armed Forces. Reggie proudly served his adopted country during World War II, and when he was discharged, Reggie returned to Michigan, settling in Grand Rapids, and ready to claim his share of the American Dream.

There in Grand Rapids, Reggie soon met a woman, fell in love and was married. Sadly, the couple suffered the loss of their daughter Marguerite Jean, in 1957. Their son Luther (Butch) died in 2003. It was a difficult time, and the couple divorced. Reggie wasn’t meant to remain alone forever, however.

Reggie began working as a factory worker and on weekends was a door-to-door salesman, selling apples. One day in early November of 1962, he happened to knock on the door of a beautiful young woman named Elaine, who didn’t want to talk to the salesman on her stoop. She was a divorced mother of four, and didn’t want to buy anything, so she told her kids to run and hide! When she opened the door and saw Reggie on her step, the kids all ran out and asked him if he would be their father! Quite an icebreaker!

Reggie and Elaine began dating, quickly fell in love, and were married on August 22, 1964, at the Fourth Reformed Church in Holland. Right after the ceremony, a tornado warning was issued! Unscathed, the happy couple honeymooned at David’s House in Benton Harbor, before settling into a new life as man and wife.

Reggie happily adopted Elaine’s four fine children, Jaci, Julie, Jim and Jeanne, fulfilling their wishes from that funny first meeting. While many men in those days would see marrying a divorced mother of four to be quite a challenge, Reggie never looked at it as a burden, taking it in easy stride, just as he did everything. Reggie was thrilled to be a dad again.

Reggie went to work at the H.J. Heinz Company in Holland, working as a hi-lo mechanic. He loved to look out the windows past the docks, and watch the huge freighters float on by, which he found so fascinating. He’d always call Elaine excitedly to tell her another freighter had come in!

Reggie was a very patient, quiet man, and those freighters floating on by just appealed to his demeanor. He also loved trains, and he and his family took a few fun train trips over the years, quick jaunts to Rockford, Detroit, or Benton Harbor. He even bought two nice train sets over the years, but really never set them up, always too busy.

Reggie loved to travel, to see new places, and he and the family also enjoyed taking their truck camper around the country, to places near (Holland State Park), and far (Detour and the Smokey Mountains). They also enjoyed going to John Ball Park in Grand Rapids, and cooking hobo pies and smores on the grills together.

Reggie was a devoted dad, too, and when the kids were in high school, he and Elaine served as Holland High School band chaperones, from 1968-73.

Of course, Reggie enjoyed quiet times of his own, from watching Jackie Gleason, to listening to all his favorite music. He loved bagpipes, and Jim Nabors, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and enjoyed taking his bride down to the Tuesday night American Legion Band concerts at Kollen Park, too. He loved to go out to eat, especially anyplace with Chinese food on the menu. He loved his dogs, Dottie and Goldie, who were forever by his side.

Most of all, he loved his wife and children, and loved having Elaine by his side. One of Reggie’s favorite hobbies was growing irises, and he was a member of the Grand Valley Iris Society and the Southwest Michigan Iris Society. Reggie would plant and prune, and Elaine would weed the garden for him (the part he disliked most). Just like everything, they did it together, as a team.

Eventually, as the years progressed, Reggie’s health began to decline, and a lifetime of hard work began to take its toll. Sadly, Reggie died on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at his home, at the age of 90.

Reggie was a quiet, considerate man, a man devoted to his family, his country and his community. He was a loyal and loving husband, father, and grandfather, and a proud veteran and friend. Most of all, Reggie was a good man blessed with a contented life, a life we were so blessed to have shared. He will be greatly missed.

In addition to two children, Reggie was preceded in death by sons-in-law Vern Vander Eide and Richard P. Ash.

Surviving is his wife Elaine of 44 years; children-Jaci and Don Riemersma of Holland, Julie and Oscar Rios of Holland, Jim and Pam Hicks of Florida, and Jeanne Brink and Charles Simons of Holland; 15 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren; sisters-in-law-Evelyn Hicks of Novi, Eleanor Hicks of Lansing, DeLoris Wallen of Norvell, Elsie and Robert Robertson of Gaylord, and Millie Fuller of Gaylord; and several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Funeral services will be 11 am Friday at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes-Downtown Chapel, 29 East 9th Street, with the Rev. Ralph Houston officiating.

Burial will be in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Visiting is 7-9 pm Thursday at the Downtown Chapel.

Memorial contributions may be made to Holland Home Care. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Reggie, or to sign the online guestbook.