David DeJonge

David DeJonge - Class of 1987

2025 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee

Cultural and Performing Arts Accomplishments  

David DeJonge's journey reflects both extraordinary perseverance and uncommon vision. Although his academic path was challenged by ADHD, depression, and academic performance, David found belonging in the camera club, The Vantage Point, and the Pioneer staff. After attending Grand Rapids Community College, a career counselor encouraged him to pursue photography. It was a decision that became the foundation for a celebrated career in portraiture and photojournalism.

As a young photographer successfully building his clientele at David DeJonge Studio, he made portraits for some well-known people such as President Gerald Ford, Supreme Court Justice Scalia, President of South Africa F.W. De Klerk, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, President George W Bush, Jesse Jackson, New York Times best-selling author, Eric Metaxas, The Betsy DeVos Family, and Edsel Ford II.

DeJonge’s passion for storytelling led him to create two major documentary project on veterans. The first was titled, “Michigan Veterans of Five Wars” which was co-authored by Karin Orr, the former columnist from the Grand Rapids Press. The two interviewed nearly 30 combat veterans from WWI to Desert Storm. The exhibition was featured in the VanAndel Museum and the State Capitol Rotunda.

The second project called DeJonge away from his family and business at a great financial sacrifice. It featured the last survivors of WWI. He interviewed and filmed survivors of America, Canada, Germany and England. President George W. Bush invited DeJonge and 108-year-old Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last surviving American WWI veteran, to the Oval Office for a press conference and an interview with the Today Show. Later that day they unveiled the portrait collection with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.

After these visits they went to the DC WWI memorial on the National mall to find it in disrepair. Frank asked DeJonge to advocate for its restoration and to create a National one (this was the only memorial to WWI in DC and was to the 499 locals who lost their lives during the Great War). He pledged to fulfill that challenging wish and resulted in the DC WWI Memorial being restored, a new national WWI memorial, dedicated in 2021 in Pershing Park near the White House. And a third memorial in Kansas City also received the title of National WWI Museum and Memorial. DeJonge notes, “Being raised in Hudsonville with the values of our community, combined with my career path, compelled me to stand for those who could not stand for themselves.”

Of his days with Hudsonville Public Schools, DeJonge recalls Mr. John Burgraaf as one of the most influential people of his younger years. Burgraaf’s faith in DeJonge encouraged him through his struggles. Mr. Slotegraaf introduced DeJonge to German class and his first link to photography in the camera club. He credits Mr. David Bolhuis’s list of “indications of maturing” as foundational and DeJonge aspired towards them.

Today, DeJonge is the proprietor of Legacy Icons in Zeeland, a company creating Christian worship goods. He and his wife Gayle have four grown children. His oldest son is in seminary learning Arabic in Lebanon, his next son is finishing his bachelor’s and deciding between business and the priesthood, their daughter serves as an evangelical missionary, and the youngest son is preparing for his role in the family business. He considers his family and the fulfillment of Frank Buckles’s dream among his greatest accomplishments, and attributes it all to divine guidance.