Amway Co-Founder, GR Philanthropist Richard DeVos Dies At 92

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A west Michigan business titan has died. Richard DeVos, the co-founder of Amway, owner of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, and father-in-law of U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, was 92. A family spokesman says he died at his home in Ada, just east of Grand Rapids. The cause of his death Thursday was complications from an infection. DeVos was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, last October. They had four children, 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His name is on several buildings in the Grand Rapids area, including DeVos Performance Hall and Grand Valley State University’s downtown campus. He and Jay Van Andel created Amway in their basements in 1959. His son, Dick DeVos, ran unsuccessfully for governor of Michigan in 2006 and the family is very involved in supporting Republican political candidates and conservative causes.