George Cornelius Donze

George Donze, 77, of Granger, IN was a loving husband, father, bunt to his grandsons, and friend to many. He was born on June 7, 1945, to Marinus and Marjorie (Combs) Donze and passed into eternity on Saturday, March 25, 2023, joining his beloved wife, Terry (Lindstedt) Donze of whom he shared 52 years of marriage.

He is survived by their son, Matthew (April) Donze; grandsons, Keenan, Caden, and Colten Donze; sisters, Betty (Theodore) VanderBeek, and Martha (Bruce) Johns; and brother, Marinus (Jeane) Donze.

He graduated from West Ottawa High School, Holland, MI in 1963 followed by serving in the United States Air Force. He and Terry made their home in South Bend planting strong roots in the community. He spent much of his career working in the packaging and folding carton industry. He enjoyed being a “road warrior” while traveling across the country taking care of customers and building business relationships.

George was a lifelong member of the New Apostolic Church. He spent over 40 years serving the church in many capacities ranging from a deacon to a district leader covering Indiana, Michigan, and parts of Ohio. He had a way of making those around him feel heard and appreciated. He enjoyed telling stories (especially about his high school sports days) and jokes, could be found cleaning his car every Saturday afternoon, and cheered on his Detroit Tigers through the good and bad seasons. He adored his grandsons and loved nothing more than getting a reaction from them with his unfiltered comments.

A Memorial Service will be held at the New Apostolic Church, 5602 South Ironwood Road, South Bend, IN at 7:00 on Friday, March 31, 2023. Visitation will take place prior to the service starting at 5:00.  The service will be conducted by Rev. Karl Orlofski of Milwaukee, WI.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the NAC Youth Development Fund.