We are sad to announce the passing of our dear friend and church member, Rosa Marie
Tompkins, on July 12, 2022, at SKLD Rehabilitation Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan, due
to a brain injury she suffered on January 4, 2022. She was 74 years old, preceded in death
by her mother, Marjorie Ann Walker Williams Braley; her father, Chester Bruce Williams;
brother, Pastor Paul Williams and her step-father, Beryl O. Braley.

 

Rosa was born in Newton, Iowa and moved to her grandparents farm in Washington state
for her childhood years. She loved the farm and the animals, and had many humorous and
fond memories of those times of picking blackberries and blueberries, and milking her pet
cow, Bubbles. Back in Iowa, Rosa was very involved in high school: pep club, business
club, speech and drama. She was an award-winning performer of humorous monologues at
Newton High School, graduating in 1966. A committed Christian, she came to Grand
Rapids in 1967 to attend college at Reformed Bible Institute (now Kuyper College), and
worked for many years in the offices of Zondervan, a Christian publishing house in Grand
Rapids.

Rosa was well-loved and active in her church, ever a source of encouragement, humor, and
love. She was an enthusiastic crafts-person who enjoyed “shabby chic” and created many
decorative items. She taught others to sew and create, and was also an animal lover who
adopted many rescue cats over the years. She was well-known for sending encouraging
words, beautiful pictures and uplifting stories to her friends by internet. She will be dearly
remembered by her family and friends.

Rosa is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Connie and Gene Bacon of Clinton, Iowa; her sister-in-law, Joyce
Williams of Cashmere, Washington; three nieces and one nephew; close friends and a large
church family.

A memorial service will be held at Rosa's home church, Grand Rapids International
Fellowship, 3765 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, August 5, 2022, at 1:00 PM.

Light refreshments will be served following the memorial.