Wietze "Wayne" Gorter

On July 22, 2023, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wietze “Wayne” Gorter, went home to our Lord Jesus Christ. He was known for negotiating the best deal, and his family believes that Jesus negotiated a deal that he just couldn’t pass up.

Wayne was born on November 9,1936 in Workum, Friesland, The Netherlands, to Sietze “Sidney” and Lutze “Lucy” Gorter. In 1949, Wayne immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings. He married the love of his life, Marlene Sorg on May 5, 1956. Together, they built a beautiful life surrounded by family and friends and filled with many adventures. Wayne loved traveling and had a passion for fishing and motorcycles.

By living a life of faith and integrity, Wayne was an inspiration to many, which ultimately molded him into a devoted family man and ambitious entrepreneur. Along with his business partner, Bob Wells, they built the CRS company where they sold and serviced cash registers for many businesses throughout west Michigan and northern Indiana. Through his caring, thoughtful, and generous manner, Wayne touched the lives of countless people. He was truly one-of-a-kind and will be dearly missed.

Wayne is lovingly survived by his wife, Marlene; daughter, Kristine (Tom) Drews; son, Rusty (Tina) Gorter; grandchildren, Patrick (Daniela) Bloss, Ari Bloss, Owen and Makenna Gorter, Kirsten and Clayton Drews; brothers, Bill (Rowena) Gorter, Bernie (Sharen) Gorter; and sister, Lucy (John) Walker. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Wiep and John Gorter.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30am on Friday, July 28, 2023 at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, 3926 South 9th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Following the service, a visitation with family and friends will take place from 11am-1pm at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Connections Community Church, 11500 US 131, Schoolcraft, MI 49087. my3c.org/donate To view Wayne’s personalized webpage please visit https://www.langelands.com