Ronald Jay Sjoerdsma

Ronald Jay Sjoerdsma, lately of Cadillac, MI, was drawn into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 18, 2026. A humble, selfless servant of others, Ron unmistakably modeled genuine, Christlike manhood. Ron was born on July 18, 1951, the oldest of the five children of Ted and Barb Sjoerdsma. He held a BA from Dordt College, a Masters from the University of Iowa, and a PhD from UCLA. He spent over 30 years as a professor of education at Calvin University. Additionally, he consulted with the Van Andel Institute to find better ways to integrate technology into the classroom. Ron’s interests were wide and varied. He loved to travel, perhaps sparked by a trip around the world when he was a young boy. In later life, he traveled widely throughout Europe and to India and Liberia, and road-tripped around the continental US. Another of Ron’s passions was good food, and he delighted in trying new restaurants. Ron loved cars, music, books, and good company. He was exceptionally handy, and his grandchildren believed he could fix anything. Ron could be entertained by (and discuss at length) just about any sport or competition, but his first love was baseball, especially when the LA Dodgers were playing. He also fervently supported the University of Iowa. One of Ron’s favorite pastimes was watching his grandchildren play sports or perform in other ways. His loving support will be greatly missed. Ron cared deeply about people. Sit or stand near him at a sporting event or other gathering, and you could expect to be engaged in conversation. He tried to hear each person’s “story” and made new friends everywhere he went. He is survived by Judi (Fluck), his beloved wife of almost 53 years; his daughters, Barbara Ford (Lance), Jeni VanNoord (Jeff), and Melissa Sjoerdsma-McNeill; five grandchildren: Jada, Dries, Drake and Dax VanNoord, and Yuki Ford; as well as his siblings, Gregg (Ann Dena), Joel (Lucrecia), and Lisa VandeLune (Brian) and numerous nieces and nephews. Ron was predeceased by his parents, his brother Doug (Kate), and son-in-law CJ McNeill. Memorial services will be held 3:00 PM Sunday, April 12, 2026 at Peterson Funeral and Cremation Services in Cadillac. Friends may meet the family one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial tree through thetreesremember.com. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.

Ronald Jay Sjoerdsma

July 18, 1951 - March 18, 2026