ZEELAND, Mich. — Zeeland city leaders and neighbors are remembering longtime City Manager Tim Klunder as a dedicated public servant, mentor and friend whose influence helped shape the city over more than two decades.
WATCH: Zeeland mourns longtime City Manager Tim Klunder, remembered for leadership and community impact
Klunder died Monday morning after a five-year battle with melanoma. He served as Zeeland’s city manager for 25 years and was credited with overseeing major projects and improvements throughout the community.
Former Zeeland Mayor Kevin Klynstra said Klunder’s impact extended far beyond city government.
“Tim and I weren’t just mayor and city manager. We were friends,” Klynstra said.
Klynstra, who was serving on the City Council when Klunder was hired, described him as a trusted mentor.
“He was a great leader. He treated the city council and the leadership in the city all with respect,” Klynstra said. “I learned a lot from Tim professionally, and he just was a good person to mentor somebody, and I think that's what he did. He mentored me.”
Current Mayor Rick Van Dorp III said Klunder played a central role in many of Zeeland’s major developments.
“The downtown’s been revitalized. The snowmelt, the expansion of our industrial area — Tim had his hands in all those aspects and oversaw all that for 25 years,” Van Dorp said.
Van Dorp also pointed to projects such as the Elm Street streetscape, nearby park improvements and the city’s woonerf shared street as examples of Klunder’s vision for the community.
He was a big proponent of that, and he drove that,” Van Dorp said. “It’s one of the more beautiful spots in town.”
Friends and colleagues also remembered Klunder for the personal relationships he built throughout the community.
“I teased him when I retired that I said, ‘I don’t know who I’ll come to to talk about my grandkids anymore,’” Klynstra said. “He was always a good listener.”
Van Dorp, who knew Klunder for 21 years, recalled bonding over football.
“Always interested in what you were up to, and easy to talk to, just good demeanor, friendly guy,” Van Dorp said. “We had some love of sports in common, so we’d more often than not cry about the Lions every Monday after the Sunday before our meeting. Or sometimes, we were happy about it.”
Van Dorp said Klunder was deeply invested in Zeeland, where he lived and worked.
“He was more than just a city manager,” Van Dorp said. “He was a part of the fabric of the community, and it wasn’t just a job to him. This was a passion for Tim to lead this city.”
Klynstra said Klunder’s legacy will continue to be felt for years to come.
“If you looked in the dictionary under city manager, Tim’s picture would be there,” Klynstra said. “He was the ultimate city manager.”
A celebration of life for Klunder is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at Faith Church in Zeeland.
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