Mary Alice Van Leeuwen (Przekop) The world lost a great wife, mom, friend and first grade teacher on January 17, 2021 as Mary Alice Van Leeuwen began a new journey in heaven, after a battle with cancer. While she lost this battle, we have in no way lost her spirit of kindness and love that lives in everyone who crossed her path during her 75 years of life. Mary was born on Christmas Eve in 1945, to Charles and Stella Przekop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After graduating from Mount Mercy Academy in 1964, she went on to earn her teaching degree from Aquinas College in 1968. She worked for Grand Rapids Schools from 1968-73 as a Head Start teacher for low-income and high-risk students. One of her greatest joys was watching the eyes of a child as they first learned to read. And then along came Jim, her beloved husband, eternal friend and traveling companion of 47 years. They married on May 4, 1973 and moved to Denver, CO where she worked at Welchester Elementary from 1973-98 as a world class first grade teacher, receiving Teacher of the Year two times. Mary dedicated her life to her family, her friends and her students. She believed in kindness and good and she spent her days making the world a better place and lifting those up who needed a boost. She was devoted to her faith and the Catholic Church and she filled her home with warmth and joy, where everyone was always welcome. And she never met a stranger! Mary was pre-deceased by her sister Barb and Barb's husband Harry O'Leary. She is survived by her brother Chuck Przekop and his wife Delphine (Grand Rapids, MI), her sister Paula and her husband Bill Mineau (Gladstone, MI), her sister Susan and her husband William Shaw (Lansing, MI), her brother/sister in-laws Dr. Jerry & Barb Van Leeuwen, and 17 nieces and nephews. Mary will be missed every day by her husband Jim Van Leeuwen and their two loving children; her daughter Janene Van Leeuwen (and her dogs Gus and Simon); her son Jamie Van Leeuwen, his husband Andrei Parvan; and her grandson Troy. The family requests in-lieu of flowers that you perform a random act of kindness in your community and tell them "Mary Sent Me!" She thought fondly of the Global Livingston Institute (www.globallivingston.org) and All Faith Community Services Food Bank. A Rosary will be given by St. John Vianney Catholic Church on February 6 at 11 a.m. followed by a Mass at 11:30 a.m. A service and celebration of life will later be streamed online. Links and additional information for streaming of the Mass and service can be found on Facebook at https://fb.me/Marysentme.