Amy M Velderman

Amy Michelle Velderman, 63, of Allen, Texas passed away peacefully on April 18, 2023, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Amy was born on February 18, 1960, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She spent her childhood in Midland, Texas and then Clyde, Texas, where she graduated from high school in 1978. She studied deaf education at Texas Woman’s University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education journey and earned her master’s degree in audiology at UT Dallas.

Amy volunteered as a patient advocate at Real Options, a pro-life women’s pregnancy center in Allen, Texas, for 25 years. Real Options was one of her favorite places on earth, and while serving there, she ministered to over 400 clients, shared the Gospel 300 times, led 24 people to Christ, and 191 of her clients chose life for their children. Amy’s compassion and faithful service will forever impact the Real Options family. She not only touched the lives of their clients, but also the lives of their volunteers and staff.

Amy’s passion for Jesus could be seen in everything she did. Whether it was inviting people to Real Options events, inviting people to Bible Study Fellowship and church, or just striking up a conversation with a stranger about Jesus, Amy was all about sharing the hope only found through Him.

Born with a congenital heart condition, Amy was no stranger to doctor and hospital visits, but unless you knew her well, you would not have known how poorly she felt a lot of the time. When asked if she felt sorry for herself, she said she wasn’t going to live afraid or waste time wallowing. Her hope was in Jesus, and she never forgot what she learned from her dad about comparison early in her life—comparison would never get her anywhere because some people would be worse off than her and some people would be better off than her. She praised God for the life and people He had given her and lived her life making memories and loving others.

Amy’s smile was infectious, shining the brightest when she was sharing Christ and when she was making memories playing games with the people she loved. She grew up playing 42, Chicken Foot, Rummikub, and an assortment of card games, and played these games up to her final days. She was highly competitive and loved to win, which humorously got her into a little bit of trouble every now and then. Her smile and love of games will be fondly remembered, and Amy’s family will think of her whenever they play her favorite games. Amy was also an avid reader and was rarely seen in her downtime without a book either in her hands or a few feet away from her (even when she was playing games a book was usually right next to her). Because her heart condition limited how she could physically experience the world, she adventured through her books. A few years ago, she switched exclusively to Christian-based books. This decision was hard for her at first, but she said it was worth it because she wanted to give every area of her life to Christ, including her passion for reading.

Several years ago, when her need for oxygen became greater, Amy required a mobile oxygen machine to participate in out-of-home activities like church and exercise class. When asked if that frustrated her or made her want to stop, she said she wanted to stay in the best shape possible in case she got a new heart. She was always hopeful for what God had planned for her future, but also wanted to stay in shape to experience the present with Steve and Alexander (and later her beloved daughter-in-law Susannah).

Her love for others was just as evident at the end of her life as it was during her life. As she was gasping for breath in the ICU, she posted prayer requests for the person in the room next to her. As she was facing the news that she was not a transplant candidate, she was visiting the dying man in the room next to her room, praying with him.

In the last few months of her life, Amy suffered, but her eyes were on the Lord, and she trusted Him with every labored breath. Whenever she received bad news from doctors, she’d say, “We’ll see what the Lord has to say about this.” Amy put her life in God’s hands and trusted that He would lead.

A couple days before she went to be with Jesus, Amy was asked what she would want to say if she had the world stage for two minutes. She began with, “Don’t be afraid to let Jesus lead.” She said she had spent some time in her early adult life trying to “drive her own bus,” but wished she had trusted the Lord to lead during those years. She continued and said, “Let Jesus drive the bus. His plans are so much better than our plans. No matter what you are going through, having Jesus with you can make all the difference in the world. We hate to give up control over our own lives, but that control is just an illusion anyway. We need to get to the place where we realize we don’t have control in the first place.”

On the last day Amy was conscious, a group of family and friends gathered around her to pray over her and say goodbye for the last time. She was the first person to start praying over the group, and she ended her prayer asking God if she could share Christ with one more person before she went to be with Him. Even in death, Amy was all about Jesus and all about others.

Steve remarked that Amy was the color in his world, which was also true for her family and friends. To Amy, Steve was her KISA (Knight In Shining Armor), and she often remarked how blessed she was to have him as her husband for the past 32 years.

Amy was a bright light in a world of shadows. She will be missed, but she leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and lifting others toward Jesus. Her faith carried her to the end, and Jesus welcomed her with open arms. Her walk with Christ is summed up by the words in Matthew 25:23, “ Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Amy loved. Amy trusted. Amy never stopped thinking of others. And Amy was all about Jesus.

Amy is survived by her loving husband Steven J. Velderman, her son Alexander J. Velderman, her daughter-in-law Susannah A. (Chaplin) Velderman, and her brother, Brent A. Wolfe. She was predeceased by her adopted father, Bill E. Wolfe in 2003 and her mother, Mary Jane (Rogers) McMillin in 2016.

The family will receive friends for a visitation on Monday, May 1, 2023, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Allen Family Funeral Options.

Amy’s celebration of life funeral service will be held Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Plano Bible Chapel, 1900 Shiloh Rd, Plano, Texas 75074 with Pastor Larry Murray officiating.

Amy will be laid to rest at the Dallas-Ft Worth National Cemetery, where she is preceding her husband, Steven J. Velderman, a U.S. Navy veteran.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Real Options. Please use this link: https://friendsofro.com/in-memory-of-amy/ .