‘Heart of the DeVos family’ dies after stroke
Helen DeVos, the wife of Orlando Magic owner and Amway co-founder Rich DeVos, was known for her philanthropic efforts to the arts and passion for Christian education, but her first love was her family, those who knew her said.
She and her husband were still as much in love as they were when they married in 1953, and she was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Helen Devos died Wednesday night at age 90 in her native Grand Rapids, Mich., after a stroke, according to her family. She was recently diagnosed with leukemia.
“I would describe her as the heart of the DeVos family and of this organization,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said. “She’s best known in Grand Rapids for being an incredible philanthropist, and I think that’s what she’s conveyed to us as an organization through 27 years.”
While much of her charitable efforts were in west Michigan, Helen and Rich DeVos still made a sizable impact in Central Florida.
“Her commitment to our community will be missed,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer tweeted.
The DeVos’ founded the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program with a $2.5 million donation in 2000. They later gave $6.5 million.
Richard Lapchick, director of the program, said she and Rich DeVos would always be interested in what the students had to say.
“They made students feel at ease,” he said. “I think they really cared.”
Lapchick described her as quiet, but always engaging. She also dressed elegantly but was never pretentious and rarely sought out the spotlight, he said.
He remembered how she and Rich DeVos would interact with