David Samuel Slusher, of Hudsonville, Mich., died at the age of 70 on May 1, 2025. He is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, enjoying his eternal home.
David was born to Robert Ray Slusher and Betty Jean Wurm Slusher on July 28, 1954, in Elyria, Ohio. David graduated from North Ridgeville High School in 1972. Then he attended Cedarville College, Cedarville, Ohio, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a comprehensive Bible major. At Cedarville, he played on the golf and soccer teams. He spent his summers in Schroon Lake, N.Y., serving on the staff at Word of Life Ranch, where he had the privilege of mentoring and teaching campers, staff and Bible Institute students how to have a genuine, growing, Bible-centered relationship with Jesus Christ.
David continued his higher education at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake. He earned his Master of Divinity in 1981, and his Master of Theology in 1982. In May 1982 he studied at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. In 1984 he earned The Evangelical Teacher Training Association Diploma and rounded out his formal education with a Master of Library Science degree from Ball State University in Muncie.
While in Winona Lake, David met his wife, Jane Ann Fawley. They married on Dec. 11, 1982. After completing his studies, David and Jane moved to Clayton, Ohio, where he pastored the Clayton Grace Brethren Church for two years. Then they returned to Winona Lake where David became the head selector of collection development and religion reference librarian at Grace Theological Seminary from 1987-1989. He also served as a library collection development consultant for various colleges and seminaries. In this capacity he negotiated and obtained the libraries of world-renowned scholars and other personal scholarly libraries for various seminaries.
In 1989, David and Jane and their young family moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., where David served at Cornerstone University as the director of Miller Library and golf coach. In 1999, David transitioned to Freedom Baptist Schools in Hudsonville, Mich., where he served as Bible teacher, Director of Discipleship and golf coach. At this time David began to feel the effects of a brain tumor that had been discovered 15 years previously. Years of ongoing treatment and complications took their toll on Dave's body until he slowly succumbed to the illness.
David was an avid reader of the Bible and a fierce defender of his faith in its truth. He loved the Lord, and he applied many of the truths he learned from the book of Job during the last years of his life. He praised the Lord when he had good health, and he praised the Lord when he suffered and his health waned.
David was preceded in death by his father, mother, mother-in-law, Janice Gowin Fawley; and brother-in-law, James Fraser. He is survived by his wife, Jane Fawley Slusher; sons, Nathan Samuel (wife Bethany) Slusher, Adam David (wife Lydia) Slusher; six grandchildren; sisters, Susan Fraser and Amy (Mike) Bush; father-in-law, Max Fawley (wife Lucy); brother-in-law, Bill (Jonel) Fawley; and many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends may visit with the family on Saturday, May 10 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home (Jamestown), 2371 Riley St., Hudsonville. This time will be followed by a private family memorial service and dinner.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts in memory be made to Word of Life Fellowship (https://give.wol.org/0B103C). Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.