Jeanette Linn

Getz

Jeanette Linn Getz, of Kalamazoo, passed away on September 19, 2026, at Rose Arbor Place in Kalamazoo. She was born on September 29, 1961, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Jeanette will be remembered as an outgoing and determined woman whose life reflected perseverance, generosity, and heart. Despite everything life handed her, she never once asked “why me” and always kept going. She was an inspiration to others and taught people to live life to the fullest through her example, her strength, and the way she met each day.

A graduate of Portage Northern High School, Jeanette devoted herself to caring for others in both her work and her community. She worked as a CNA at Tendercare of Portage and also served as a child care provider, helping several families raise their children with warmth and dedication. Her care for others was not simply a job, but a lasting gift that touched many lives.

Service and involvement were important parts of Jeanette’s life. She was involved with the Girl Scouts for over 40 years, was a Transplant Games participant, and was a member of DAR and the Kalamazoo Genealogy Society. Among her proudest accomplishments were receiving the Star Award for Volunteering and, most especially, her kidney transplant 45 years ago, after which she continued to live a full and accomplished life.

Jeanette also embraced the joys of creativity and personal expression. She enjoyed building doll houses, making jewelry, and collecting keychains and lava lamps. She found happiness in coloring, scrapbooking, card making, and calligraphy. She enjoyed watching shows such as NCIS, reading the books of Anne Rice, and listening to classic rock music. Washington, DC held a special place in her heart as her favorite place she visited. Halloween was her favorite holiday, and her enthusiasm for decorating was so memorable that it was once featured in a newspaper article.

She is survived by her sisters, Mary Ann Getz and Carolann Getz, and by her nieces, Victoria Elizabeth Phillips and Jamie Lynn Burkhardt. Jeanette shared close family ties that remained an important part of her life, and those who knew her will remember the warmth, spirit, and individuality she brought to her family.

She was preceded in death by her father, Paul Arthur Getz; her mother, Joyce Arlene Getz; her sister, Sandy Linn Getz; and her nephew, Arthur Rae Adkins.

Jeanette’s life was marked by resilience, service, creativity, and love. She leaves behind a legacy of courage and encouragement that will continue to live on in the hearts of her family and all who were inspired by her. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Those desiring may make memorial contributions in her memory to, Gift of Life Michigan or the American Kidney Fund.