Robert D. Huizenga

Robert “Bob” D. Huizenga, age 70, of Saint John, IN passed away on Thursday, November 26, 2020.  Beloved husband of Joy E. Huizenga, nee Rietveld.  Loving father of Doug (Erica) Huizenga, Jen (Jason) Topp, Ryan Huizenga, and Katie (Sam) Abbott.  Cherished grandfather of Kaya and Eli Huizenga, Kaelyn, Layton, and Kolten Topp, Diane, Audrey, Hannah, late Kora, Adelyn, and Brynley Abbott.  Dear brother of Janet (John) Sutorius, the late Beverly Jones, Ellen (Lou) Caposey, Jill Dekker, and David Huizenga.  Preceded in death by his parents Donald and Jean Huizenga.  Bob was loved by many and will be dearly missed.

Robert Huizenga.  Also known as Bob or B.O.B.  He never met a corny joke he didn’t like, and he loved to stump the grandkids with a riddle or two – teasing those he loved. He would talk to anyone, anywhere, at any time. In the ups and downs of life at times he wandered, but his love for others and his faith in God never wavered.  He married the Joy of his life not once, but twice.  He took time with his kids and grandkids to coach them and teach them, whether it was sports, fishing, or construction.  He had a creative eye (although he only had one good one that he joked about) and worked with ingenuity to fix whatever needed fixing at the lowest possible cost.  He had an entrepreneurial spirit, looking for something to build, and always had a positive outlook about how things would turn out somehow envisioning the end of a project.  He used that gift to completely renovate the cottage in Michigan so that we could build memories together as a family.  Although at times during that project he just supervised, giving tips about the correct way to do things – but he certainly earned that right. He used his talents to build a better world for his family, and the legacy of those cottage memories will stick with us forever. He seemed to have a favorite phrase for so many occasions that we often joked about.  It only seems appropriate to end this memorial with a phrase that Bob would say first thing every morning we were at the cottage.  “It sure is a beautiful day…the best day yet”.  Bob, welcome home to your best day yet.  You’ll be enjoying a beautiful day forever with your Savior.

Visitation Monday, November 30, 2020 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Smits Funeral Home, 2121 Pleasant Springs Ln, Dyer, IN (in consideration of others, masks are required) .  Funeral service Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at Faith Church, 100 W 81st Ave, Dyer, IN with Rev. Bob Bouwer officiating. Interment Memory Lane Memorial Park – Schererville, IN.  Memorial contributions to Crown Point Christian School (10550 Park Pl, St John, IN 46373), Bible League International (3801 Eagle Nest Dr, Crete, IL 60417) or The Peyton Riekhof Foundation for Youth Hope are greatly appreciated.  For more information, please call 219-322-7300 or visit our online obituary and guestbook at www.SMITSFH.com