Audrey Jansen, 87, went to be with her Savior on Dec. 26, 2021. Born in Ionia, Mich., she had a diverse life that took her from Grand Rapids to the big city of Chicago for nursing school at Swedish Covenant Hospital where her rule breaking spirit earned her life-long friends. By the time she was 30, she was halfway around the world in Nigeria with her husband Chuck and four daughters where she spent 13 years serving her Lord. After Nigeria, she spent 25 years in Missouri working in public health and running a school for developmentally disabled children while continuing to raise her daughters.
She was an avid questioner and loved to learn. She read widely and enjoyed debating theology and ideas. In the manner of Jacob and armed with a probing question, Audrey was always ready for a good wrestling conversation. She believed in the value of women and mentored many young women through the years. She was a champion for excellence and good grammar. She loved her husband of 65 years, Chuck, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, Charles (Chuck) Jansen; her children, Brenda and Greg Smith, Betsy and Robert Kamphuis, Melanie Jansen and Mike Brisben, and Melisa and Dan Hubka. She is also survived by her grandchildren, David and Kate, Char, Clairellyn and Micah, AnnaLeigh and Jake, Scout, Erin, Isaac; and two great-grandchildren, Teddy and Lydia; and her sister, Karen DeVos. She will be missed.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 31, at Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church, 940 Neland Ave SE, in Grand Rapids, Mich., with Rev. Cindy de Jong officiating. The service will also be live streamed at vimeo.com/event/1476017/3c37c8702b.
Audrey’s family will greet relatives and friends at Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton St. SE, in Grand Rapids, Mich., for visitation on Thursday, Dec. 30, from 6-8 p.m. The family kindly requests that you wear a mask to both events.
Memorial donations can be made to Resonate Global Missions or Neland Ave CRC – Building Fund.
