EC Remembers Mr. Holwerda, Longtime Teacher, Principal, and Friend

Mr. Donald D. Holwerda, longtime teacher, principal, and friend of Eastern Christian School has passed away at the age of 90 (full obituary here).

Mr. Holwerda’s life was one of service. After serving our nation stateside in the Korean war, he completed his college and master’s degrees and chose to serve at Eastern Christian School. He would go on to serve our school community for parts of five decades. Teaching Elementary School students until the late 1960’s, he then moved into administration, serving as principal of our Midland Park campus. He returned to the classroom, teaching 6th grade until his retirement in the early 1990’s.

Even in his retirement, Mr. Holwerda continued helping our school community by chaperoning trips and substitute teaching. 

“The Lord has blessed Eastern Christian School over our entire existence with amazing servant leaders who give tirelessly of themselves to the cause of bringing an excellent Christian education to the families of our school community. Mr. Holwerda was such a leader- the personification of our mission. His work with our school community- from classroom teacher, to principal, to volunteer and friend- has produced incredible fruit over generations, and today, we stand as a far better community because he was in it.”

-Tom Dykhouse, Head of School

From the Archives: Mr. Holwerda at EC through the years