At 6 a.m. on most weekdays the lights have been on in DeVries Hall 221. That office belonged to Hessel “Bud” Bouma III, 64, who died on Saturday, May 2, after a brief battle with an aggressive metastatic melanoma.

That illumination in DH 221 represented Bouma’s dedication to the institution he served for 36 years.

“He was somebody who was disciplined, detail-oriented and hard working,” said Arlene Hoogewerf, chair of the at Calvin College. “If he was in charge of putting something together, he would have done it really, really well.”

A leader in his field

Bouma joined the biology department at Calvin College in 1978 after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. He regularly taught cellular biology courses, but as his interests evolved, he took a leadership role with the department, college, community and denomination in the field of medical ethics.

Bouma and numerous book chapters and articles considering the ethics of many current societal issues, including capital punishment, genetic testing, human sexuality, reproductive technologies, end-of-life issues, genetically modified organisms and embryonic stem cell research.

He regularly taught “Perspectives in Medicine” as a capstone course and the non-majors “Human Biology” course where he developed a Moral Issues Readers that has been used both at Calvin and other universities as a way to help students study, discuss and make Christ-centered informed moral choices on various biomedical ethical dilemmas relevant to today’s society. 

While Bouma’s expertise on medical ethics was sought after by media, church groups, synodical committees and hospital boards, he never lost sight of his primary audience: his students.

An encouragement to students

“He was a kind, understanding and warm man,” said Rebecca Ajuonuma, a senior organizational communication major, who took a class with Bouma last summer. “The last day of the summer session was a hectic one for me. I had to take the third test for the class, my final exam, and head to the airport right afterwards. Professor Bouma did everything he could to make sure my stress level was reduced. He even drove me to the airport because I didn’t have a ride and I was going to take a taxi.”

Erika Steensma, a junior biology major remembers the advice Bouma gave her when she agreed to work as a lab assistant in his Biology 115 lab: “‘Make sure you take the time to learn all of the students names. It really helps to build a connection when you can call someone by his or her name. And if you see them outside of class, make sure to greet them or give them a wave, so that you can start to build relationships with the students.’ This was the approach that Professor Bouma took with his students; he really strove to make each person feel special and cared for.”

“He was an absolutely remarkably sensitive professor and I often thought he would have made an awesome grandfather,” said Calvin senior biochemistry major Marcia Beare. “He just had that gentle way about him.”

“I think one thing that continually amazed me was how he kept track and in contact with a number of students after they graduated,” said Rich Nyhof, a longtime colleague of Bouma’s in the biology department. “When something came up in a department meeting he would say, ‘oh this is what this person is doing now.’ He knew them. He knew the details of their lives. He kept up with a lot of students.”

A servant of his colleagues

And while his colleagues remember him as a man who cared for his students, they also appreciate him for the work he did on their behalf, serving on numerous department-wide (scholarships and hospitality) and college-wide (professional status, faculty senate, planning and priorities) committees.

“He was really quite a servant,” said Hoogewerf. “He would always prepare, always come to those committee meetings having read, done the homework, thought about questions that had to be asked.”

“Bud will be deeply missed at Calvin College, and I think it will be nearly impossible to replace the unique gifts, talents and perspectives that he brought to our department and the rest of the college,” wrote biology professor and longtime friend John Ubels.

“He was one professor that left a mark on my life and I will never forget him. I will miss him greatly,” said Ajuonuma.

Bouma is survived by his wife, Ruth, and his children Chris, Brian, Laura and Amy. 

Funeral services will be held on Wed., May 6 at 11 a.m. at . Visitation with the family will be on Wed., May 6 from 9-10:45 a.m. at the church. A luncheon will follow.

A memorial service at Calvin College is planned for Friday, May 8 at 4 p.m. in the Chapel.