Calvin remembers Steve Schuitema
Tape outlines of dust pans and brooms in closets throughout the 麻豆区 campus tell a much deeper story than one might expect.
This fall, Steve Schuitema started his day well before the sun came up. He鈥檇 create a list of things he needed to do for the day, organize it, and then he鈥檇 grab his green golf cart from the basement of Heyns residence hall and head out for a full day of behind-the-scenes service to the campus.
The tape in the closet was to make everyone鈥檚 job easier, to create efficiencies because there was a lot of work to get done.
Wearing many hats
Supervising students, doing work orders, emptying trash, vacuuming, setting up bleachers, restocking supplies in buildings across campus, and even handling calls for pest control were all on his list.
鈥淗e knew how to do a lot of jobs on campus,鈥 said Emily Taylor, Schuitema鈥檚 supervisor for the past few years. 鈥淗e had a full day!鈥
Schuitema, 61, died on Friday, November 19, 2021. His colleagues who knew him well remember him not for the work he did, but for the heart that fueled his work.
Caring for people
鈥淗e genuinely cared about the students and the staff who worked in building services,鈥 said Taylor. 鈥淗e wanted to make sure their jobs were as easy as possible. That鈥檚 our goal as supervisors: to make sure everyone has everything they need to be successful in doing their job, and he lived that 100-percent of the time.鈥
And Schuitema knew it was about far more than the work, it was about investing in people.
鈥淎s a supervisor, he was kind and understanding,鈥 said Zack Smidstra, a line custodian for one of the residence halls. 鈥淲hen he would check in to see how my crew was progressing in the apartments or dorm hall that we had been assigned, he would always take time to talk with the students. He would ask them how things were going outside of work or share a laugh with them.鈥
鈥淪teve would take the time to share a kind word with those he worked with,鈥 said Jay Wise, director of college housing and operations at Calvin. 鈥淗e always asked 鈥榟ow are you doing?鈥欌
鈥淗e was always really understanding with student workers when they needed time off. He would care about what鈥檚 happening in their lives, relating, trying to listen, just being there for people,鈥 said Taylor.
Supporting the mission
And it was also Schuitema鈥檚 work ethic that revealed how much he cared for people. Taylor says he never did a job 鈥渉alfway,鈥 and when he saw something that needed attention, he didn鈥檛 delay, he took initiative and got the job done. The reason? He knew why he was doing the work.
鈥淗e cared and loved Calvin and everyone here,鈥 said Taylor. 鈥淗e was never mad about how much there was to do. He鈥檇 say, 鈥榳e are doing this for the students.鈥欌
A servant's heart
And while Schuitema鈥檚 workdays were packed throughout the week, he was still willing to work weekends if it meant his co-workers didn鈥檛 have to.
鈥淗e was just ready to go and help in any way he could to protect me from working too hard. He鈥檇 be like 鈥榓re you coming in on Saturday? If you are coming in, I鈥檒l come in so you don鈥檛 have to do it,鈥欌 said Taylor, who Schuitema knew was a salaried employee and wouldn鈥檛 get extra pay for the extra hours.
That鈥檚 the kind of man Schuitema was 鈥 always looking out for others.
While his roles changed a few times during his five-plus years at Calvin, his work ethic, attention to detail, and kindheartedness remained steadfast.鈥疕is colleagues will remember his genuine love for them and鈥痶he students he worked alongside every day.鈥
Schuitema was preceded in death by his mother, Marie Schuitema. He is survived by his children, Shelley Ypma, Katelyn and Derek Wellman, Travis and Tiffany Schuitema; six grandchildren; father, James Schuitema; siblings Cathy and Mike Atwood, Daniel and Tamara Schuitema; and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. The family has started a with half of the donations going to help offset funeral expenses and the other half to support the work of Alcoholics Anonymous.