Zeeland is mourning a long-time staple of the city’s government. Pam Holmes, clerk for the last seven years, died Oct. 3 at age 60, according to a press release.
Holmes had been on “extended medical leave,” according to previous meeting packets and board discussions.
“She was dedicated, honest, knowledgeable, a friend to all, hardworking, all wrapped up in a layer of a fun gal who loved to serve the city of Zeeland,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Sally Gruppen during a meeting of Zeeland City Council on Oct. 6.
Holmes became clerk in 2018 following the retirement of Karen Jipping. Before that, she spent nine years as deputy clerk, beginning in 2009.
“She … carried out ‘Feel the Zeel’ quite honestly, though she may not have been a resident,” said City Manager Tim Klunder. “There was never any question of where her heart was.”
Zeeland City Hall will be closed 12-3 p.m. Oct. 7 to allow staff to attend Holmes’ funeral services. Visitation will be held 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 7 at Niekerk Christian Reformed Church, followed by the funeral service at 1 p.m., according to an online obituary.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X and Bluesky @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland longtime clerk Pam Holmes dies at 60 after extended medical leave
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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