Vivian Joyce (Westveld) Johns

Vivian Joyce (Westveld) Johns, age 77, passed away Thursday, May 2, 2024.  She was born in Grand Rapids, MI to the late Fred and Gertrude (Walcott) Westveld. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Ted Westveld. Vivian was full of laughter and joy.  She grew up loving her small farm community in Marne, MI.  She attended Allendale Christian School, Unity High School, and The Pinerest School of Nursing. As a child she adored her parents and her childhood with her brother and sister.  She spoke fondly of time spent with the family reading the Bible after supper. She loved the farm and helping her parents with the animals and gardens, even when the piglets got loose, and dad had everyone help to gather them up. As much as she enjoyed her West Michigan home, she also had an adventurous streak. She used her nursing degree to take her all around the country to work and explore with friends.  She briefly worked as a flight attendant, traveling Europe in a failed attempt to get married abroad before marrying her Navy Sailor in Pennsylvania.  Vivian and her groom, David, eventually returned to West Michigan where she touched lives for around 40 years as an LPN. She worked many of those years at the old Butterworth hospital caring for oncology ward patients. She even helped safely evacuate the ward when there was fire in a patient room. She later diversified her career working at Brookcrest Nursing Home, working several years for an attorney and not to mention working as a steadfast business partner to her husband in running Northern Part and Parcel, their family owned and operated delivery service. While Vivian sometimes was at a loss for the “right” word, her competitiveness and saucy nature came out with epic family games of scrabble.  Her love for her husband, children, and grandchildren was boundless.  Vivian wanted nothing more than to sit with a cup of decaf coffee and a dessert “salad” to get the latest news of the lives around her.   She was active in church all her life and loved to sing and be involved.  Vivian loved flowers, sewing, painting, drawing, and catching up with her girlfriends and coworkers, including her best pal Ruth and the “Pinerest Gang”. Her laughter was joyous and infectious. You’d never leave her sight without a smile and a hug.  Vivian loved everyone and was loved by everyone. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 50 years, David Johns; children, Eric (Cherri) Johns, Nicole (Bob) Stone; grandchildren, Molly, Emma Johns, and David Stone; sister, Sara (Arlan) Gulker; brothers-in-law, Timothy Johns, James (Kristine) Johns; sister-in-law, Linda Sharp and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 4PM to 6PM, Thursday, May 9th, 2024, with Funeral services held at 6:00 P.M. at Marne United Methodist Church, 14861 Washington St, Marne, MI 49435 with Rev. Tommy Boutell officiating. The burial will take place in Maplewood Cemetery. Condolences for the family may be left in Vivian’s guestbook at www.throopfh.com. 

Throop Funeral Home 

Coopersville, 616-837-8161