Devos Center of Arts and Worship Construction Deathqconstruction Death Grand Rapids Michigan

ADA, Mich., Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard M. DeVos, co-founder of Amway, died peacefully at his home in Ada, Michigan, surrounded past family, on September half-dozen, 2018. He was 92. The crusade of death was complications from an infection.

Perchance all-time known as an inspiring, motivational leader and pioneer of the famous Amway direct selling method that offered individuals the opportunity to build businesses of their ain, Mr. DeVos besides was senior chairman of the Orlando Magic NBA franchise and a generous philanthropist with his late married woman, Helen.

Richard Thou. DeVos

A recipient of the Horatio Alger Laurels, Mr. DeVos's life embodied the American dream of humble ancestry turned to bully success through determined try. He was born March four, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and grew upward during the Groovy Depression. He credited his interest in owning a business organisation to his male parent, who always encouraged his son to go into business for himself.

His entrepreneurial spirit took root in a high school friendship with classmate Jay Van Andel. The pair get-go dreamed of owning their own business while students at Grand Rapids Christian High School. Their friendship grew out of a business arrangement — Rich paid Jay 25 cents a calendar week for rides to and from school in Jay's 1931 Model A Ford.

After both returned from service overseas in World War Ii, their early entrepreneurial ventures included a flight school and one of the first drive-in restaurants in Michigan. They sold both interests in 1948 to buy a sailboat in Connecticut with intentions to sheet to the Caribbean — fifty-fifty though neither had any sailing experience. Their old wooden schooner, "Elizabeth," sank off the coast of Cuba. A passing freighter rescued them, and they continued their adventure on land through South America.

In 1949 they invested $49 and became highly successful independent distributors for Nutrilite, a manufacturer and direct seller of vitamins. The California manufacturer of vitamins used a person-to-person selling approach that the partners later on adopted when starting Amway from their homes in Ada, Michigan, in 1959, with an all-purpose cleaner, 50.O.C., equally their only product. Their refined straight selling approach offered individuals around the globe a business ownership opportunity.  After the showtime twelvemonth of business organisation, they moved to an abandoned service station located at Amway's electric current headquarters site in Ada, Michigan. Over five decades, they built their business into a multi-billion dollar international corporation and the earth's leading direct selling visitor.

Mr. DeVos was Amway president from the company's founding until 1993, when he was succeeded by his son, Dick, and in 2002 by his son, Doug. Continuing in their fathers' tradition, today Doug DeVos shares the Office of the Chief Executive with Chairman Steve Van Andel, son of co-founder Jay Van Andel. Rich DeVos remained active as a fellow member of Amway'due south Board of Directors until his death. Jay Van Andel died in December 2004.

"Rich and my father built this company from the ground up, and in many means Rich was the heart and soul of Amway," said Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel. "His vision and spirit inspired our employees and contained business owners for more than than 50 years. No i even comes close to Rich in the love he inspired in the hearts and minds of our family of employees and business owners. We will miss him terribly."

An award-winning, inspirational speaker, he motivated hundreds of thousands of contained business organization owners worldwide and kept a full schedule of speaking engagements for a diversity of business organization and charitable organizations beyond the country. A self-proclaimed "cheerleader," he promoted the values of freedom, family, faith and philanthropy in books plus thousands of speeches and interviews effectually the world. As a reflection of his strong Christian faith, he was known for introducing himself at speaking engagements as "but a sinner saved by grace."

Mr. DeVos wrote v books: BELIEVE! (1975), Compassionate Capitalism (1993), Promise From My Heart (2000), X Powerful Phrases for Positive People (2008), and Simply Rich (2014). Simply Rich is a memoir reflecting on his piece of work, religion, family, and the core values he held onto from his humble, Christian upbringing through his success equally co-founder of Amway.

Orlando Magic

The DeVos family purchased the Orlando Magic in September 1991. The Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every pace of the way. The Magic have won five sectionalization championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) and had vii fifty-plus win seasons, while capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. In 2016, Mr. DeVos was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.

"Mr. DeVos' boundless generosity, inspirational leadership and infectious enthusiasm will always be remembered. Simply, he was the squad'due south No. 1 cheerleader and the all-time owner that a Magic fan could ever desire for their squad. When the DeVos Family unit purchased the Magic, his vision was that the team and system would serve every bit a platform to ameliorate the Central Florida community. That legacy will certainly live on, both in the Orlando Magic's community efforts and philanthropic contributions, likewise equally in the manner nosotros strive to play the game with passion, a strong piece of work ethic and integrity, while too bringing people together from all walks of life," said Alex Martins, Chief Executive Officeholder, Orlando Magic.

A Legacy of Philanthropy

Annually ranked by Forbes magazine as 1 of the world's billionaires, Mr. DeVos shared his success as a philanthropist and community leader. Mr. DeVos volunteered his fourth dimension and leadership to a number of causes and with his late wife, Helen, donated generously through the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation.

In the 1970s, every bit chairman of the New K Rapids Committee, Mr. DeVos was instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids, including the construction of the DeVos Performance Hall. He and Jay Van Andel led the restoration of the former Pantlind Hotel, which was purchased by Amway and is at present the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Mr. DeVos and Mr. Van Andel besides spearheaded the Amway-owned JW Marriott Hotel.

Mr. DeVos and his late wife supported many other community projects, such as DeVos Place Convention Center and the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

The couple also supported Christian pedagogy including Rehoboth and Zuni Christian Schools in New Mexico that have been providing opportunities for Native American children for more than than 100 years. Others include the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Arts and Worship at Grand Rapids Christian High School, the DeVos Communications Middle at Calvin College and the Helen DeVos College of Education at Lee University. They were generous supporters to other higher education institutions including The Rex'south College in New York City, Thou Valley State Academy, Northwood University, Michigan State University – College of Human Medicine, and Promise College.

They were long-fourth dimension residents of Central Florida and supported numerous civic, educational and religious organizations in that location. The Orlando Magic supports the local community through sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed trade, and grants. In addition, over the concluding 28 years, diverse local nonprofit community organizations accept received support through the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation which serves at-risk youth and has impacted more than one million children.  Orlando Magic community relations programs annually bear on an estimated 100,000 kids each yr, while the Magic Volunteer Program (MVP), an organizational staff-broad initiative, provides more than 7,000 customs volunteer hours annually.

They besides contributed to national organizations such equally the National Constitution Heart and the National Organization on Inability.

In 2006, Rich and the late Helen DeVos were honored with The Philanthropy Roundtable William Eastward. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership. In 2010 they were awarded the Clare Boothe Luce Honor by the Heritage Foundation and in 2012 they received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Straight Selling Association.

Christian Faith

Rich and the late Helen DeVos ever said they were motivated to requite considering of their Christian faith and their responsibility as stewards of the financial resource God had given them. In addition to Christian education, they supported scores of Christian churches and ministries.

Mr. DeVos was director of the Board of Home Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church and with his late married woman, Helen, generously supported the work of denominational outreach. He was a member of LaGrave Artery Christian Reformed Church in Thou Rapids, where he served as an elderberry, and he was a former fellow member of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church building in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Active Political Supporter

He was an active political supporter and major correspondent to the Republican Party. Mr. DeVos was a friend of U.S. Presidents Gerald R. Ford, George H. W. Bush, George Due west. Bush and William J. Clinton. President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the Presidential Committee on AIDS. He served as finance chairman for the Republican National Committee and was a fellow member of the Informational Board for the National Republican Congressional Commission.

Civic Leadership

Mr. DeVos served numerous organizations with lath leadership both locally and nationally. Local roles included: honorary commission member of the Helen DeVos Children's Infirmary; Spectrum Health Board member; director of the Thousand Rapids Economic Society and of the Heart of West Michigan United Mode; president of Junior Achievement of Thou Rapids; and member of the board of trustees for the Gerald R. Ford Foundation.

Notable national leadership roles included: board member and chairman, Straight Selling Association; chairman, Directly Selling Education Foundation; director of the National Association of Manufacturing; member of the lath of trustees, National Constitution Heart; lath member and founding chairman, National Arrangement on Disability; chairman of the Speakers Bureau for the United Network on Organ Sharing; council of trustees, Freedoms Foundation; and president, Council for National Policy.

Awards and Achievements

Following are a few of the numerous major awards presented to Mr. DeVos: Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking; Direct Selling Association Hall of Fame and Lifetime Accomplishment Award; Direct Selling Education Foundation Circle of Honor Award; Inferior Achievement National Concern Hall of Fame; Horatio Alger Clan Horatio Alger Award; American Marketing Association Edison Award; Sales and Marketing Executives International Academy of Achievement; Salvation Army William Booth Honour; Napoleon Hill Aureate Medal Laurels for Gratuitous Enterprise Accomplishment; The Philanthropy Roundtable William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Corporate Citizenship Laurels; Intercollegiate Studies Establish Trustee's Honour for Distinguished Service andCharles H. Hoeflich Lifetime Accomplishment Award ; the Orlando Magazine Best Corporate Citizen Honour; Grand Rapids Symphony Bravo! Laurels; and the Michigan Republican House and Senate American Spirit Award. He likewise holds 14 honorary doctorate degrees from various colleges and universities beyond the state.

About Richard 1000. DeVos

Mr. DeVos was born March 4, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, graduated from G Rapids Christian Loftier School, attended Calvin Higher, and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1944 to 1946. He married the former Helen J. Van Wesep of Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1953.

Mr. DeVos was preceded in death by his dearest wife, Helen, and is survived past their children and spouses Dick and Betsy, Dan and Pamella, Cheri, and Doug and Maria; grandchildren and their spouses Rick and Melissa, Elissa and Nate, Andrea and Michael, Ryan, Cassandra and Heath, Sydney and Andrew, Cole, Hannah, Katie, Ben, Jessa, Addie, Dalton, Micaela and Jordan, Monreau, and Olivia; and bully-grandchildren Clara, Sloane, Remington, Richard, Wilhelmina, Aurelia, Taggart, and Riven. He is also survived by two sisters, Bernice Heys and Janice (Bob) Courts.

Memorials

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions exist made to Grand Rapids Christian School Association, Helen DeVos Children'due south Hospital, LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, or Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Please visit www.RichDeVos.com for more information.

Statement from the Family unit of Rich DeVos

Our father, gramps, and great-granddad, Rich DeVos, passed away peacefully at dwelling surrounded past his family unit on September 6, 2018, at historic period 92.

Dad spread positivity everywhere he went and encouraged everyone he met.  He did that for his children and grandchildren, and for countless others around the earth.  His positivity was a constant, motivating force that inspired many others to make meaningful changes in their own lives and communities.  He was a visionary leader, architect, life enricher, motivator, and a champion for people from all walks of life.

Rich DeVos was many things to many people, merely to u.s.a. he was but "Dad," "Granddaddy," "Bumpa," or "Papa Bang-up."  Nosotros are deeply grateful and blessed beyond measure out to have been loved unconditionally, raised, mentored, and inspired past him.  He was a office model unlike any other.

While nosotros are saddened by his passing, our hearts are full every bit nosotros celebrate the boggling life he led. Nosotros are comforted that he is reunited with Mom, and that together they are experiencing the joy of eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dick, Dan, Cheri, Doug and Families

SOURCE Amway

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