As West Michigan remembers the life and legacy of the late Peter Secchia, there is no denying that he left a positive and long-lasting impact through his philanthropy and key friends in the region.
It was Peter Secchia, who in mid 2000 hosted a July tour of the area to sell his vision of what would become Millennium Park. By the end of the day, Secchia told News 8 he was confident the vision would be realized.
Amway co-chair Doug DeVos said during a July 2019 unveiling of a statue honoring Secchia’s work in Millennium Park, “He had a dream. And I think the best part of a vision is that he was able to start it, but everybody else was able to dive in and shape it.”
Following the death of Secchia's friend and co-founder of Amway, Rich Devos, Secchia told News 8, “He had more influence on me than anything I’ve ever done. I was learning my business, I was trying to get forward. He taught me. He taught me the principles of giving. He taught me the value of sharing."
On the day of the dedication for a statue in his likeness, there were stories about Secchia’s success, from business to politics to philanthropy. There were also stories about friendships, like the local news articles and joke of the day Secchia faxed to Rich DeVos’ London hotel room every day for six months while DeVos awaited his 1997 heart transplant.
More: WOODTV.COM