Obituary: Thomas Dereske, 65, Wyoming.

Thomas Dereske

Obituary: Thomas Dereske, 65, Wyoming.

When I get where I’m going, on the far side of the sky, the first thing I’m gonna do is spread my wings and fly, gonna land beside a lion and run my fingers through his mane, or I might find out what it’s like to ride a drop of rain. So much pain, so much darkness, in this world we stumble through, all the questions I can’t  answer, so much work to do, but when I get where I’m going, and see my Maker’s face, I’ll stand forever in the light, of His amazing Grace. When I get where I am going, when I get where I am going, I’m going to be in heaven, HEAVEN, when I get where I’m going.

Thomas James Dereske, age 65, of Wyoming, Mich., went to heaven on Saturday, April 6, 2019, after a heroic battle with cancer. Tom was adventurous, honest, curious, loving, caring, generous, gentle, hard working, an innovative thinker, funny, and possessed an irreverent sense of humor, the kind of guy who lived his life his own way.

He was a lifelong carpenter and could design and build just about anything. This past fall, he started the hardest battle of his life – double hit lymphoma. He was the fourth person at Spectrum Health to receive CAR-T immunotherapy. The family hopes his experience will help others in the future who face this tragic disease. A special thank you to the nurses and staff on 5 South and 5 Center at Spectrum Health for the love and care of our dear Tom.

Thomas Dereske

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 38 years, his precious Marjorie; son, Michael (Gretchen) Dereske; brother, Ray (Barb) Dereske; sisters, Jo (Tom Patten) Dereske, Mary (Bill Vreeke) Dereske; brother-in-law, Steven (Paulette) Levandowski, Robert (Cindy) Levandowski, Rodney Levandowski, several nieces, nephews and cousins, including a special niece, Karen,  his chemo buddy during his treatments.

Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4145 Chicago Drive SW, Grandville, with the Rev. Greg Vander Meer officiating. Relatives and friends may meet the family Tuesday, April 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Spectrum Health Foundation. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.