Barbara Hydorn Keil D
eVries, a 1969 graduate of Wayland High School, died of brain cancer early Thursday morning (09/22/2016) in hospice.
The subject of a Townbroadcast feature story earlier this year, she was 65 years old.
Among her survivors are two daughters, Briana Keil of Wayland and Melissa Keil Collins and two grandchildren of Muskegon, husband Dennis at home and ex-husband Richard Keil of Grand Rapids.
DeVries underwent serious examination last spring as a result of several warning signs — she began to drag her left foot and one day she noticed she was drooling on the left side of her face.
Spectrum physicians immediately ordered an MRI scan on June 6 and by June 8 she was diagnosed with a problem virtually no one wants to hear about.
Friday, June 3, was to be her last day of work at the Kent County Community Action Agency, which helps low income people with things such as food, rent, utilities. She had been specializing in working with clients on reducing energy consumption.
DeVries had held a variety of positions at the agency over the last six years. She also worked for many years in management and accounting at J&J and Associates Trucking Co.
Daughter Briana works at the Auto Action just north of Wayland and Melissa lives in Muskegon with her two children.
Barbara Hydorn graduated from Wayland High School and attended Grand Valley State University, where her fiancé, Richard Keil, was going to school. The two married in late 1970 and she dropped out of GVSU and they lived in Alabama, Missouri and Kansas for five years before returning to this area to help their ailing parents.
The two divorced in 1983. She married Denny DeVries in 1996.
Information about services will be forthcoming.