Grace Flesche

Grace Flesche, of Kalamazoo, died peacefully on Saturday, February 5th, 2022. Grace was born on November 8th, 1934, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the daughter of Dr. George and Olga Eisenach. The family moved to Yankton, South Dakota, where she spent her childhood. She graduated from Yankton High School, where she was involved in numerous activities. She then attended Drury College (now University) where she received her BA and earned her certificate in elementary education. At Drury, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, the college newspaper and participated in athletics, mainly volleyball. After graduation, she taught in Colorado, Washington and Missouri. In 1962, she married Dr. Donald Flesche, whom she had met at Drury. That same year they moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Don joined the teaching faculty at Kalamazoo College and Grace entered the teaching staff at Kalamazoo Public Schools, working at Chime School for two years. After the birth of her two daughters, in 1965 and 1968, she became involved in their schools and activities, including becoming a Brownie Leader. When her children were older, she returned to Chime Elementary as a secretary. When Grace and Don retired in 1996, they traveled extensively, attending the Atlanta Olympics, 17 Road Scholar experiences and visiting all 50 states. She especially loved spending time with her two daughters and their families. The joy of her life was being part of the lives of her five grandchildren, attending their numerous school activities and athletic events. The family enjoyed annual summer vacations together and wonderful Christmas gatherings. Grace loved the city of Kalamazoo and was a devoted volunteer. She was active in numerous roles for the USTA Nationals, receiving the tournament's Distinguished Service Award in 2011. She volunteered with Kalamazoo in Bloom, chaired the sale of UNICEF Christmas cards and was on the board of Planned Parenthood. She and Don volunteered at North Glade elementary, helping with reading and math, and provided weekly food distribution for Loaves and Fishes. Grace was a member of the Kalamazoo College Women's Association, an avid gardener, reader and baker, passing down several recipes to her grandchildren. She loved playing tennis and was a member of the same bridge group for 25 years. She and Don regularly attended concerts of the Kalamazoo Symphony, The Gilmore and the Kalamazoo Concert Band and plays at Farmer's Alley, Miller Auditorium and Barn Theatre. Grace is survived by her husband of 59 years, Don, her daughter, Catherine Spahr, and her husband Chris, her daughter, Susan DeVries, and her husband, Bill, and grandchildren Carson and Caroline Spahr, Allison DeVries and her fiancee Joe Nyhuis, and Jacob and Owen DeVries. She is also survived by her brother, Dr. Elden Eisenach, and his wife Valerie, her sister in law Jean Watson and 10 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Eileen Kucirek. A Celebration of Life open house will be held on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022, between 3:00 – 6:00 pm at Martell's Restaurant (formerly Black Swan), 3501 Greenleaf Blvd. in Kalamazoo. In lieu of flowers, donations in Grace's name may be made to the Donald Flesche Visiting Scholars & Lecture Endowment and/or the USTA Tennis Tournament. Gifts for either can be made payable to "Kalamazoo College" and sent to Kalamazoo College c/o Desma Caudill, 1200 Academy Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. Please visit Grace's personalized online guestbook at https://www.langelands.com