James “Jim” Van De Polder passed away Monday afternoon, August 24, at home in the arms of his family.

Jim was born on November 16, 1936, to Henry and Laurena (Karman) Van De Polder. A lifelong resident of Kalamazoo, he met and eventually married Arlene Adams on September 4, 1959, beginning a partnership of almost 67 years and raising two children, Debbie and Craig.

During his youth, he learned the value of hands-on work, mentorship, and outdoor adventure. He spent much time at the YMCA, where he played basketball and worked behind the counter as a “soda jerk.” Jim devoted summers to the Y’s Camp Ahara, serving as a camp counselor, teaching outdoor skills, and guiding canoe trips along rivers throughout Lower Michigan.

His passion for all things automotive began early in life when he was recognized as the “top driver” in the 1954 Kalamazoo Junior Chamber of Commerce Teen-Age Road-E-O. Jim graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School that same year.

Jim attended Western Michigan University while starting a family and working as a mechanic at Orin B. Hayes automobile dealership.

From 1960–1962, he served in the United States Army, including a tour of duty in Korea with the 7th Infantry Division Artillery at the McDonald Barracks near Camp Casey and the Demilitarized Zone. He embodied the unit’s motto, Ad Altiora Tendo, which translates to “I strive for higher things.”

Jim’s teaching career began in 1962 at Bay City Central High School, where he taught vocational auto mechanics. In 1965, he joined Portage Northern High School as an industrial vocational auto mechanics teacher. In 1967, Jim began over five decades of service at Western Michigan University when he joined the faculty of the Department of Engineering Technology.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial vocational education in 1967 and a Master of Arts in industrial education in 1971 from WMU. In 1980, he received a Master of Science in automotive emission control from Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

Jim served as a consultant to the Michigan State Police on accident investigations and with patrol car speedometer calibration. He was active with the WMU Centennial Committee, guiding the recreation of the historic campus funicular trolley car. He was a long-time member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Jim contributed to the national Plymouth Troubleshooting Contest for high school auto mechanic students. He co-authored the textbook Auto-Mechanics in 1987.

He retired as Professor Emeritus in December 2018, leaving behind a legacy of dedication, expertise, and profound impact on generations of students. He challenged his students (and sometimes his children) to find answers and figure things out. He didn't shy away from speaking directly and could not be accused of pulling any punches. Many students later credited him with helping launch their successful careers.

Jim and Arlene treasured their time outdoors, spending many summers in Colorado hiking in the Rockies and nurturing in their young children a deep appreciation for nature and wild places. From 1993 to 1997, they volunteered with the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park at Canyon Village, serving in the Backcountry Office and as Campground Hosts. Their government-provided campsite was often the site of potlucks and gatherings of fellow volunteers and employees. During the winter of 1997–98, Jim spent a sabbatical in Yellowstone contributing to design improvements for the first track-drive system for an over-snow ambulance.

Jim lived a life guided by faith, continual learning, curiosity, craftsmanship, and service. While he appreciated a well-organized tool chest and careful maintenance of tools and equipment, his tools would be left where they were last used, even if that was the kitchen counter. An engineer through and through, there never seemed to be anything that he couldn’t fix.

In his later years, he loved traveling in his motorhome; watching Great Lakes freighters (especially in Sault Ste Marie); listening to the rumble of locomotive engines; feeding the birds; riding his John Deere tractor whether the grass needed to be mowed or not; watching WMU Bronco hockey; and eating good Whitefish, barbeque ribs, and black cherry ice cream.

He will be remembered with gratitude by countless students, colleagues, and friends who were fortunate to learn from him, laugh with him, and share in his adventures. To his family, he was a hero.

Jim is survived by his wife Arlene; his daughter, Debbie Van De Polder (Al Nash) of Kalamazoo (formerly of Yellowstone National Park and Billings, Mont.) and his son, Craig Van De Polder (Elizabeth) of Yellowstone National Park and Livingston, Mont.; sister, Jean Van De Polder Guthrie of Aurora, Colo.; sisters-in-law, Linda (Ron) Triemstra and Emily Adams, both of Kalamazoo; nieces, nephews, and cousins.