January 11, 2014
Service: January 17, 2014
Alvin Lee Hoksbergen's life on this earth ended on January 11, 2014. His 85 years were filled with vitality and love, energy and empathy, humor and dedication. His greatest life investments were in his family and in the people he served through his pastoral ministry. At the end he was surrounded by his wife of 63 years Shirley (VanderSchaaf), nine grandchildren, three foster grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and three children and their spouses (Stan & Deb Hoksbergen, Roland & Lisseth Hoksbergen, and Miriam & Keith Hinkle). He was deeply loved by each and every one. Al's larger family included all the people in and around the congregations he served as pastor, but also anyone suffering from poverty, addictions, impairments, or any other vulnerability. His compassion led him to want to help anyone in need, and he led his churches down these paths as well. As his direct family witnessed his passing, they were conscious of how privileged they had been to be connected to this fine man who loved the Lord, his family, the people in his churches, and, truth be known, pretty much everyone.
Al's life had humble beginnings. Born at home in Pella, Iowa to Isaac and Minnie on October 22, 1928, followed a few years later by sister Norma June, the young family survived the depression along with the rest of the Pella community. Al thought his future lay in following his father into greenhouse work, but military service in Korea changed everything. One day as he witnessed a child scavenging for food in the military dump, he felt God's call to invest in a life that would "make a difference" and he decided then and there to study for pastoral ministry. Returning home to Shirley and their one-year old son, he enrolled at Calvin College and went straight on to Calvin Seminary. After a year of additional study at the Free University of Amsterdam, he pastored the Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church, River Terrace Church and, finally, Ferrysburg Community Church. Upon retirement, he continued to serve as a hospital chaplain, pastor vacant churches on an interim basis, and write articles for the Banner. Throughout his ministry, Al was actively involved in agencies and boards of the Christian Reformed Church.
He loved gardening and fishing, and he was good at both. He played golf for the fellowship and to keep himself humble. His greatest earthly joy, however, was his work, and he worked until the very end of his life. Al's life will be honored with a memorial service on Friday, January 17 at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be Thursday, January 16, from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM. Both of these events will be at the Ferrysburg Community Church.
Al would often say, "In order to have a friend, you have to be a friend;" he had a lot of friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Ferrysburg Community Church in support of its crib ministry.