Cheryl L. Bouma

Cheryl Lynn Bouma (McClaskey), age 78, passed away peacefully at her home in Freedom Village of Holland, on December 21st after losing the battle with the spread of her aggressive breast cancer diagnosis in 2020.

Cheryl was born on Coronado Island in CA as her father was preparing to be discharged from the Navy after WW II. The new family promptly moved back to Iowa where both her mother and fathers' parents and their siblings lived. Both grandparents were farming families in Iowa, and Cheryl loving the outdoor life, spent many summers there as a young child.

She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa until she was 12 y/o when her dad accepted a better job in Grand Rapids, Ml. The family drove in snowy February weather along the lakeshore highway with two girls, their beagle dog Pokey, and a parakeet in a large cage, named Mickey, to Jenison, Ml..... a full car and full of promises and a new life.

Cheryl turned thirteen that summer and unbeknownst at the time, was to meet her future husband, Bill Bouma, at a backyard picnic with friends and neighbors gathered in Grandville. Cheryl was a "sporty girl." Good at anything athletic and knowledgeable too. While limited by the number of available women's school sports at the time, she did play on a ladies' softball team called the Zeeland Jaardas. Her talents led her to an invitation by a Lansing team to play with them in a national softball tournament in FL.

She graduated from Grandville High School and attended Central Michigan University majoring in speech pathology and audiology. Her endearment to Bill continued to blossom and they married in 1967 with Cheryl entering her senior year of college. She transferred to the University of Iowa where Bill was completing his Ph.D. and in 1968 she graduated a Hawkeye.

Graduate students were notoriously "poor", so Cheryl took a paying job after graduation, at the U of I Hospitals in the Ophthalmology Dept. She worked for a Dr. who had a grant for glaucoma research. At the time she did not know that this job and training would open doors and would carry her later to working in ophthalmology, not speech path.

Continuous new job prospects brought the family back to the Western Michigan area, first in Grand Rapids, then to Holland, Portage, Bloomingdale, and finally a return to Holland. During the family's first stint in Holland, she worked tirelessly with city officials towards funding and building the first bike paths in Holland on 32nd street. A "special use" district was created and was the foundational template for the creation of today's abundant bike paths throughout the Holland community. Cheryl always continued being active in her community as exemplified by her saving a 4H Camp in Allegan, and serving as lake association president, condo board officer, and finally RAC at FVH.

Cheryl was an exceptional cook, loved to entertain, play games, tennis, and bridge. She also would write what she called "local yocal" poetry for family and friends, of which samples could always be observed in Christmas cards sent out over the years. Cheryl had a ready smile, hug, and welcome for everyone.

Cheryl is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Bill, son Chris (Tina) and granddaughters Abigail (Trent) Esch and Isabelle all of Kentwood; son Matt (Kim) and grandsons Nathan and Ryan all of Wyoming, Michigan. She also leaves behind her loving younger sister Kris Downey of St. Petersburg, FL.

Cremation has taken place, and a Celebration of Life gathering for family and friends will be held at Freedom Village of Holland (FVH), 145 Columbia Avenue, Holland, MI 49423 on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Celebratory memories will be at 2:00pm in the FVH Auditorium (6th Flr) followed by open fellowship from 2:30 to 4pm. Please enter at The Lakes portico, main entrance to Independent Living at FVH.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to Hospice of Holland or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.