Inspiring Women SUMMER 2020

28
Taking it to the Bank for The Foundation
I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My maiden
name was Orlikowski. My Grandpa O owned a very successful
bowling alley where three of his four sons worked. We were
brought up as a very tight knit family. At one time there were 10
of us attending the same small Catholic elementary school. We
spent every weekend and vacations at a nearby lake house
and of course bowled together. My cousins are still some of my
best friends today.
I was also extremely close to my other grandparents, often
staying with them for weeks at a time in Fremont, Michigan. My
Grandpa was a self-educated businessman, meticulous with
numbers and data, which I believe is where my interest in
accounting came from. My Grandma was an exemplary independent working woman. Most
memorable was the way they loved and cared for each other. They were married for 69 years.
They instilled in me a deep care and concern for others.
I supported myself, paid my own way through Central Michigan University and became the first
in my family to graduate from college. As an accounting major, I went to work for Touche Ross
and earned my license as a CPA. I went on to work for a privately held and quickly growing
automotive supplier in Holland, MI and became their first woman on the Leadership Team. And I
met my husband Jeff, there.
The company that we worked for was bought out
and brought about opportunities for both of us to
move to the corporate headquarters across the
state. We had three young girls at that point and
decided something had to give. We made a
conscious decision that I would stay home and
raise the girls in Ann Arbor, MI. We totally believed
that this was a short-term move and we’ve had
the same house for 22 years now, although we
lived abroad in England and Holland for a
number of years while on assignment.
Our daughters are now young adults, all
graduated from university and we have one 5-
year-old grandson. They all live in the state of MI,
Jenna back in Grand Rapids, Dana in Detroit and
our oldest, RaeAnne, with grandson Landon, live
just a few miles away from us in Saline. All are
managing busy careers.
Jeff, after attempting to “retire” twice, was
recruited by a previous business associate to
launch and create a business around a newly
developed raw material. With everyone working, I
spend several days a week taking care of Landon.
KATHY DEBEST
Member: FAUSA
From: Grand Rapids, MI Lives: Ann Arbor, Michigan
The holidays with my husband, daughters and grandson