Funeral arrangements set for Steven Hecht

Funeral arrangements have been announced for Steven Hecht, associate professor of biomedical sciences, who died April 5.

A visitation will be held Sunday, April 9, from 3-5 p.m. at Cook Memorial Chapel (east building), 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville, Michigan.

A funeral will be held Monday, April 10, at 11 a.m. at First Evangelical Covenant Church, 1933 Tremont Blvd. NW, Grand Rapids. Visitation will also be held one hour before the funeral, from 10-11 a.m. at the church. 

Donations in Hecht's memory may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, www.theaftd.org. An obituary is posted online here. 

Hecht collapsed April 5 while walking near the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus. He was 60. He joined Grand Valley in August 1999 as assistant professor in the Biomedical Sciences Department; in 2004, he was promoted to associate professor. He earned a bachelor's degree from Emporia State University and a doctorate from Tufts University School of Medicine. 

"Steve was a gifted scholar and wonderful colleague," said Fred Antczak, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "He was dedicated to his students, advising many who aspired to study nursing or the health professions. He did great service to his colleagues across the college, including several terms on the Personnel Committee. He will be deeply missed." 

Daniel Bergman, associate professor and chair of biomedical sciences, said Hecht was an outstanding teacher who students respected immensely.

“He was always working to improve his craft and he truly cared about his students and their success,” Bergman said. “Faculty and staff had the utmost respect for Steve. He was a voice of wisdom for me and the Biomedical Sciences department. He will be profoundly missed by all.”

Support services are available through the University Counseling Center for students. Visit www.gvsu.edu/counsel or call (616) 331-3266. For faculty and staff members, support services are available through Encompass.