John Gernaat

Went to be with his Lord and Savior Wednesday, March 25, 2020 while surrounded by his loving family. John was born to John, Sr. and Helen (Steinhaus) Gernaat on November 20th, 1928 in Kalamazoo. John was a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo where his career of farming celery, hot house tomatoes and bedding plants spanned over 60 years. In 1996 he fully retired and passed John Gernaat & Son Greenhouse to his eldest son. John was a lifelong member of Second Christian Reformed Church where he was both a Deacon and Elder for many years. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed all sports. He enjoyed spending time with his family and many friends and was known for his beautiful tomato plants he tended to every spring and graciously shared with family and friends. On November 4th, 1949, John was united in marriage to Evelyn (Veldkamp) who survives. They celebrated 70 years of marriage and had five children: Dennis (Shirlee) Gernaat, Carol (Dan) Hazelhoff, Brenda Gernaat, Christopher (Brenda) Gernaat, Julie (Mark) VanDyken; 15 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and six sisters. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Memorials may be directed to Park Village Pines or Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan. To view John's personalized guestbook please visit https://www.langelands.com