Carolyn Christine Guth (née Schulz), resident of Holland, Mich., went to be with the Lord May 18, 2021. Beloved wife, mother and Mimi, she lived a lifetime of hospitality and giving, spreading joy and touching lives deeply wherever she went.
Born Jan. 7, 1942 in Los Angeles and raised in Riverside, Calif., she attended the University of Redlands, followed by becoming secretary to Bill Bright at Campus Crusade for Christ in San Bernardino, Calif. It was there on staff where she met her husband of 55 years, Wendell. They settled in Orange, Calif., where their son David, and daughter, Christy, were born. The family was an active part of Trinity Presbyterian Church nearby.
Deciding to raise their family in a quieter environment, they moved to Oak Harbor, WA, and became firmly entrenched in Pacific Northwest life. As a member of First Reformed Church, she was a Calvinette leader who shaped the lives of many young girls by exemplifying what it meant to be a lady and shared her gift of hospitality with everyone. She continued sharing this love as they moved to Des Moines, Wash., developing long-lasting relationships with co-workers and has continued to maintain these special friendships in spite of the miles. Both Carolyn and Wendell were active members of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Wash.
Following their children to the Midwest after they both graduated college and married, Carolyn and Wendell settled in Holland, where she and her husband were active members at Beechwood Reformed Church and Christ Memorial Reformed Church. Carolyn also served Holland Hospital as an executive secretary supporting senior leadership and resulting in many more meaningful friendships. In addition, she quickly became a part of the Hope College community as an avid basketball fan and arts supporter while developing her own personal ministry to out-of-state students. She gifted these students throughout the school year, invited them into her home for a home-cooked meal, transported them to and from the airport, attended their performances and games, and became a surrogate grandparent to each one of them.
Her presence leaves a hole in their lives and she will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband Wendell, of Holland; son David and wife Julia, of Urbana, Ill.; daughter Christy Ross and husband Dan, of Pace, Fla.; sister Joan Hull and husband Peter, of Riverside, Calif.; and four grandchildren, William and Colin Guth and Sydney and Lexie Ross. In lieu of flowers, to honor Carolyn’s life, the family requests gifts be made to Love Packages (lovepackages.org) or to the Jesus Film Project (jesusfilm.org).
