Herbert Joseph Jones
Herbert Jones, 86, of Brentwood, Tenn., formerly of Birmingham, died Nov. 27, 2002, in Tennessee.
He is survived by wife, Barbara B.; children, Catherine Jones Mitchell of Charleston, S.C., Cynthia Babcock of Bloomfield Hills, Bruce J. Thompson of Charlotte, N.C.; six grandchildren; brother, Robert D. Jones of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Brentwood Funeral Home in Brentwood, Tenn. Memorial tributes may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church, Brentwood, Tenn. or Alzheimer's Association.
Joseph Forand
Joseph Forand, 72, of Birmingham, died Nov. 27, 2002, at home. He was born Dec. 19, 1929 in New Bedford, Mass.
Mr. Forand graduated from Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. He was a captain in the United States Army, serving as a Tank Guancry Instructor in Fort Knox, Ky. during the Korean War. He was president and owner of Forand Sales Company Manufacturer's Rep Agency. He coached Little League baseball for 18 years and was former president of the Birmingham Little League Baseball Association. He was an active member of Holy Name Parish, coaching football at the school. He was also a former member of the Detroit Yacht Club.
Mr. Forand is survived by wife, Anne; sons, Dr. Joseph (Cathy) and James (Ruth); grandchildren, Katy, Amy and Tracy; brother, David; four nieces and one nephew.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, Clawson. Interment
at Pine Lake Cemetery, West Bloomfield. Memorial tributes may be made to Holy Name School S.E.E.D. Foundation, 630 Harmon, Birmingham, Mich. 48009.
Ruth Ethel "Stevie" Roberts
Ruth Roberts, 85, of Bloomfield Hills, died Nov. 27, 2002, at Wm. Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. She was born Jan. 6, 1917 in Milton, Wis.
Mrs. Roberts was a cosmetologist in the Bloomfield Hills area for 25 years.
She is survived by children, Janet K. Ridley, Terry S. (Jean) and Kim M. (Ann); grandchildren, Jill L. White, Cindy A. Clark and Amanda R. Roberts; great-grandchild, Garnett S. Hall; sister, Miriam Scholl.
Funeral arrangements wer handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, Troy. Interment
at White Chapel Cemetery, Troy. Memorial tributes may be made to the Salvation Army.
Joan Denton
Joan Denton, 66, of Birmingham, died Dec. 1, 2002, at home. She was born June 5, 1936 in Dundee, Scotland.
Mrs. Denton was a nurse and homemaker. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Birmingham.
She is survived by husband, Ronald T.; children, Kimberley Ann (James) Pillow and Gregory Allen; grandson, James Reed Pillow; siblings and friends.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, Troy. Interment
at First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden, Birmingham. Memorial tributes may be made to U of M Cancer Center, c/o Head & Neck Cancer Research, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, 1364 Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109-0922.
Daniel Martin Mertus
Daniel Mertus of Chapel Hill, N.C., formerly of Birmingham, died Nov. 19, 2002. He was born in Coal Ridge, Ohio.
Mr. Mertus was a graduate of Miami University in Ohio where he belonged to the fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served on a ship in the Arctic Shelf of Northern Alaska where he edited an Army newspaper. He was active in his church, serving as president of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Birmingham. He was employed by Parke Davis/Warner Lambert in international business. He enjoyed drawing cartoons and illustrations; was an athlete, softball coach, basketball statistician and referee for local school teams; and a Tar Heels sports fan.
Mr. Mertus is survived by wife, Marilyn; children, Amie Ellen Casson of Chicago, Julie Ann Mertus of Baltimore, Md., David Daniel of Los Angeles; grandchildren, Kevan, Max, Daniel and Lynne.
A memorial service was held at Pentecostal Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Ohio. Memorial tributes may be made to The National Parkinson's Foundation, Bob Hope Parkinson Research Center, 1501 N.W. 9th Avenue, Bob Hope Road, Miami, Fla. 33136-1494 for stem cell research projects; or Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 300 East Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514.
Dan Curran
Dan Curran, 68, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 3, 2002, at home. He was born Dec. 15, 1933 in Cincinatti, Ohio.
Mr. Curran graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and the University of Detroit. He served as vice president of Standard Mortgage Corporation; General Counsel for Bert Smokler & Company; senior attorney for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company and president for MichCon Development Corporation, where he was in charge of Harbertown development.
His professional memberships included the Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers and the American, Michigan and Detroit Bar Associations. He also served as an officer/board member for the St. Francis Home for Boys; the Wayne County Catholic Social Services; Angel's Place; the Judge Vincent J. Brennan Foundation; St. Regis Usher's Club; actively supported Detroit's Most Holy Trinity Church; and co-chairman of the Sharin' of the Green on St. Patrick's Day. He enjoyed vacationing at Torch Lake; was an avid Notre Dame fan and loved wearing exotic colored bermuda shorts.
Mr. Curran is survived by wife, Joan; children, Kathleen, Molly, Dan and Michael; grandsons, Danny and Patrick; sisters, Mary (Lawrence) MacLean and Deidre (Ted) Mueller; many nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Lynch & Sons Funeral Home. Interment
at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield. Memorial tributes may be made to U of D Jesuit High School, 8400 South Cambridge, Detroit 48221.
Patricia Ann Wilson
Patricia Wilson, 61, of Bloomfield Township, died Dec. 3, 2002, at Bloomfield Hills Care Center. She was born Feb. 11, 1941, in Detroit.
Ms. Wilson was a homemaker.
She is survived by son, Robert W. Wilson; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Victoria and Sean; sister, Beverly J. (Thomas) Moore.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, Troy. Interment
at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Detroit. Memorial tributes may be made to Angel's Place.
Michael Hranchook, M.D.
Dr. Michael Hranchook, of Bloomfield Hills, died December 4, 2002.
He graduated from Wayne State University and received his medical degree from Wayne State Medical School. He served his internship at Grace Hospital and his residency in surgery at Detroit Memorial Hospital. During World War II, Dr. Hranchook served as Medical Director for the Packard Motor Car Company. He was employed by General Motors Corporation, retiring after 35 years as a Medical Director for Fisher Body Division.
He was a fellow of the American Occupational Medical Association; member of the American Medical Association; the Michigan State Medical Society; the Michigan Heart Association; and had served as secretary of the Detroit Industrial Physicians Club. He enjoyed boating on Lake St. Clair and videotaping family gatherings.
He is survived by wife, Emily; children, Michael (Anne Marie), Mark (Heidi), Barbara (Bob) Stuecheli, Helen (Paul) Ehardt, Matthew (Brigid) and Marie (Scott) Ladoucer; thirteen grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, Inc. of Sterling Heights. Interment
at Resurrection Cemetery.
Rev. Daniel D. Dunnigan, S.J.
Rev. Daniel Dunnigan, S.J., 72, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 15, 2002, at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac. He was born Dec. 5, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Rev. Dunnigan was a graduate of Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland, John Carroll University also in Cleveland, West Baden College in West Baden, Ind. and Loyola University in Chicago, ILL. He was a Roman Catholic Priest, retreat director, spiritual adviser and long-time high school teacher for the Jesuit Order, Society of Jesus. He most recently worked at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House in Bloomfield Hills.
Rev. Dunnigan was an avid reader of political biography and world and church history. He enjoyed crossword puzzles, and travel.
He is survived by siblings, Thomas of Alexandria, Va. and Patricia Botoswan of Huron, Ohio and Naples, Fla.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Troy. Interment
at Colombiere Center Cemetery in Clarkston. Memorial tributes may be made to Rev. John A. McGrail, S.J., Endowment Fund at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, 1390 Quarton Road, Bloomfield Hills, Mich 48304.
Carroll David Smeak, II
Carroll Smeak, II, 72, of Birmingham, died Dec. 15, 2002 at Wm. Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He was born Feb. 4, 1930 in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Mr. Smeak was an U.S. Army veteran serving in the Korean Conflict. He was a retired branch manager of Motors Holding Division-G.M.C. for General Motors. He was a World Traveler with the Nomad Club and an avid gin player.
He is survived by wife, Frances; children, Joanne Smeak, Jenny (James) Cherocci, David (Kathleen), Douglas (Suzanne) and Daniel (Kimberly); twelve grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Troy. Interment
at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy. Memorial tributes may be made to the Salvation Army or Lutheran Social Services.
Mary Anne Thurber
Mary Anne Thurber, 91, of Beverly Hills, died Dec. 16, 2002, at Cherrywood Nursing Home in Sterling Heights. She was born July 21, 1911 in Detroit.
Mrs. Thurber was a retired fourth grade school teacher at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Beverly Hills.
She is survived by children, John A. (Barbara), Mary Alice LoCicero, Frances (Roy) Talmadge and Jeanne(Robert) Murray; grandchildren, A.J., John L., Sarah, Ben, John and Jeff; great-grandchildren, Maria and Melissa; siblings, Antoinette Adamo, Fred D'Agostino, Ester Leo and Marco D'Agostino.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Royal Oak. Interment
at Greenwood Cemetery in Birmingham. Memorial tributes may be made to Capuchin Fathers.
Elizabeth "Betty" Poux
Elizabeth Poux, 79, of Birmingham, died Dec. 23, 2002, at Wm. Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. She was born Feb. 7, 1923 in Titusville, Pa.
Mrs. Poux graduated from Meadville High School in Meadville, Pa. She was with the Brokerage Firm of Manley, Bennett and McDonald for 25 years. She was a member of St. Columban Catholic Church of Birmingham.
She is survived by daughters, Marjorie L. Monaghan of Pontiac and Christine Brown of Lake Orion; grandchildren, Kipp, Nicole, Patrick and Richard; and sister, Marjorie Hartman of Connellville, Ohio.
Funeral arrangements were handled by The Wm. R. Hamilton Co. of Birmingham. Interment
was private at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy.
Irene R. Schoeppe
Irene Schoeppe, 84, of Palm Springs, Calif., formerly of Beverly Hills, Mich., died Dec. 13, 2002.
Mrs. Schoeppe was a member of New Horizons and St. Regis Catholic Church. She owned her own jewelry business for over 25 years and enjoyed traveling.
She is survived by son, Mark (Amy); grandchildren, Matthew, Drew and Sara.
A private memorial service to be held in New Jersey. Memorial tributes may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Robert A. Casalou
Robert Casalou, 82, of Bloomfield Hills, died Jan. 31, 2003, in Waterford. He was born in Arlington, Massachusetts.
Mr. Casalou was a veteran of World War II serving in the 1st Marine Division stationed in the Pacific. He was owner of R.A. Casalou, Inc., an automotive manufacturer's sales representative firm, from which he retired in 1998. He enjoyed traveling, was an avid golfer and a Country Western music enthusiast.
He is survived by wife, Judy; children, Diane, Steve, Judy, Rob and Lisa; 12 grandchildren; one great-grandson.
There will be a visitation at 9 a.m. followed by funeral mass at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at St. Genevieve Catholic Church, 29015 Jamison Ct. in Livonia. Memorial tributes may be made to the Providence Health Foundation Robert A. Casalou Memorial Fund, 22255 Greenfield, Suite 228, Southfield 48075.
Joseph Archibald Moesta, Sr.
Joseph Moesta, Sr., 72, of Bloomfield Hills, died Jan. 30, 2003, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He was born June 26, 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Moesta was a college graduate and a U.S. Navy veteran during the Korean Conflict. He was an international accounts manager for IBM. He was a member of St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills.
He is survived by wife, Jeanne; children, Monica (Charles Bond) Dehghan, Marion (Kevin) McAlister, Catherine (Timothy) Holden, William (Kimberly) and Charles; grandchildren, Michael, Claudia, Meghan, Caroline, Elizabeth, Catherine, Patrick, Natalie, Christopher and Matthew; sister, Mary (Joseph) Donnelly.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A. J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Troy. Interment
at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. Memorial tributes may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Grace M. Bleakley
Grace Bleakley, 97, of Birmingham, died Feb. 2, 2003, in Southfield. She was born Oct. 2, 1905, on the family farm which is now part of Oakland Mall.
Mrs. Bleakley was retired from Oakland County as a social welfare secretary. She was a life member of Eastern Star No. 220 in Birmingham, a longtime member of First United Church of Birmingham, and a charter member of Troy Historical Society.
She is survived by children, Mary Ellen Bleakley of Liberty, Mo. and Margaret Cope of Royal Oak; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were handled by William Sullivan & Son Funeral Home in Royal Oak. Interment
at Roseland Park. Memorial tributes may be made to the American Heart Association.
G. Gordon Nyquist
G. Gordon Nyquist, 85, of Bloomfield Hills, died Feb. 1, 2003, at home. He was born April 4, 1917 in Rockford, Ill.
Mr. Nyquist graduated from Denison University in Grandville, Ohio. He was a self-employed manufacturer's representative at Gordon Nyquist and Associates. He was a member of Kirk in the Hills Parish, Phi Delta Theta, Birmingham Country Club and the Detroit Athletic Club.
He is survived by wife, Margaret; children, Bonnie (Gary) Bell of Columbus, Ohio, Susan of Auburn Hills, Douglas,D.D.S. (JoAnn) of Bloomfield Hills and Gordon (Cynthia) of Beverly Hills; ten grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Kenneth E. of Bloomfield Hills and Lucille Brown of Verona, Pa.
Funeral arrangements were handled by The Wm. R. Hamilton Co. in Birmingham. Memorial tributes may be made to the Alzheimers Association.
Beverly Jane Morehead DeMarsh
Beverly DeMarsh, 76, of Birmingham, died Dec. 31, 2002, at home. She was born in Jerome, Mich., in 1926.
Mrs. DeMarsh attended Eastern Michigan University. She was an artist who taught for several years at John Hill Junior High School in Dearborn Heights. In the '70's, she worked in the Birmingham Book Store. She did not limit her artistic talent on the traditional canvas, enjoying working on chairs, barnwood, birdhouses, pottery and dried gourds. She was a member of the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, The Palette & Brush Club, the Detroit Institute of Arts,the American Association of University Women (Birmingham Branch) and her local garden club. She was an avid gardener who gave presentations on various gardening topics. She traveled extensively in the U.S. and abroad.
Mrs. DeMarsh is survived by children, Paul M. (Peggy), Richard A. (Barbara Smith), Jane A. (William) O'Neil and Joseph A. (Nora Schankin); grandchildren, Michael, Ann (Brian) Johnson, Maggi (Adam) Predmore, Nicholas Avery, Jacob Kallie, William J. O'Neil, III, Daniel O'Neil, Helen Jane, Nicholas Anthony; great-grandchildren, Liam Predmore and Aidan Johnson.
The Celebration of Life (including a one-woman show) will be held Feb. 1 from 1-4 p.m. at Birmingham Community House, (248) 644-5832. Memorial tributes may be sent to The American Association of University Women (Birmingham Branch).
Edward J. Rzeppa
Edward Rzeppa, 90, of Bloomfield Hills, died Jan. 17, 2003, at home. He was born June 18, 1912, in Detroit.
Mr. Rzeppa was a retired realtor from Weir, Manuel, Snyder & Ranke in Birmingham. He was a former car salesman for Dreisbach & Sons Cadillac in Detroit. He was a member of the Cadillac Crest Club for outstanding sales, and a member of St. Regis Church Usher's Club. He enjoyed golf and bowling.
He is survived by wife, Imelda; children, Christopher "Zip" (Kevan), Gerard M. (Sharon) and Joseph J.; grandchildren, Daniel and Joanne; great-grandchild, Reese.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, Royal Oak. Interment
at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield.
Victor E. Borra, Sr.
Victor Borra, Sr., 80, of Bloomfield Hills, formerly of Rochester Hills, died Jan. 20, 2003, at Woodward Hills Care Center in Bloomfield Hills. He was born May 18, 1922 in Detroit.
Mr. Borra was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a supervisor at MichCon.
He is survived by son, Victor, Jr. (Linda); grandchildren, Jeffrey, Jason and Ryan.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Troy. Interment
at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy. Memorial tributes may be sent to The Capuchins.
Stephanie Lynn Vibbert
Stephanie Vibbert, 22, of Bloomfield Hills, died Jan. 20, 2003, in a car accident in Maumee, Ohio, while returning from last weekend's Peace March in Washington, D.C. She was born June 25, 1980, in Royal Oak.
Ms. Vibbert was a senior at Kalamazoo College, with a double major in English and psychology, She was a volunteer at Kalamazoo Gospel Mission and president of the student campus advisory board. She had submitted applications to 4th World Movement and Amnesty International to work with poverty stricken people. She enjoyed pottery, writing, sketching, yoga and guitar.
She is survived by parents, Robert A., II and Dianne K.; grandparents, Robert A. and Margaret Vibbert and the late Stephen and Mary Surcina; aunts and uncles, Marjorie (Wayne) Fredrickson, Kenneth (Kaye) Surcina, Margaret A. (Thomas) Ogden, William E. (Karen) Vibbert; and many cousins.
Funeral arrangements were handled by A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Royal Oak. Memorial tributes may be sent to Kensington Welfare Rights Union, P.O. Box 50678, Philadelphia, Pa. 19132.
Harold H. DeBoer
Harold DeBoer, 84, of Pleasant Ridge, died Jan. 12, 2003.
He was employed by Michigan Bell Telephone Company for 42 years as the district plant manager. He was a volunteer for the Pleasant Ridge Boy Scouts and Scoutmaster to Troop 1542. He was one of the founders and a charter member of the Pleasant Ridge Community Pool. He served on the Human Relations Council in Pleasant Ridge. Mr. DeBoer was a member of Royal Oak First Baptist and Cross of Christ. He was an outdoorsman who enjoyed skiing, horseback riding, swimming and traveling.
He is survived by children, Douglas (Laura), Daniel (Ann), Jeffrey (Lauren) and Janice (Robert) Danielson; grandchildren, Melanie, Geoffrey, Tim, Jacob and Jonathan; great-grandchild, Pierce.
A memorial service will be held Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. for visitation, 11 a.m. the service at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 1100 Lone Pine Road in Bloomfield Hills. Memorial tributes may be made to Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 1100 Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 48302.
Ann Marie Cavanaugh Gibbs
Ann Marie Gibbs, 72, of Beverly Hills, died Jan. 20, 2003.
She graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute, Ind., and the University of Detroit. She taught in the Detroit Public Schools. She trained Leader Dogs for the Blind. She was a talented painter, gourmet cook and loved flower gardening, as well as flower arrangement, which made her sought after to do floral settings for parties. Mrs. Gibbs also enjoyed their summer home in Leamington, Ontario. Enjoying the role of motherhood, she was like a "second mom" to her children's friends, who still kept in contact with her up to this past Christmas.
Mrs. Gibbs is survived by husband, Richard J., Sr.; children, Richard J., Jr. of Bloomfield Hills, Joseph C. of Bloomfield Hills, Lawrence V. of Royal Oak, Ann Marie of Santa Rosa, Calif., Mary Grace Stevens of Commerce and Katie Scarchilli; 11 grandchildren; siblings, Catherine Roney of Bloomfield Hills, Frances "Willie" Dando of Atlanta, Ga., and Alfred D. Cavanaugh of Santa Rosa, Calif.
Funeral arrangements were handled by McCabe Funeral Home in Farmington Hills. Memorial tributes may be made to Leader Dogs For the Blind.
Henriette R. Shullman
Henriette Shullman, 93. of Florham Park, N.J., died Jan. 21, 2003, at Castle Senior Living, Florham Park, N.J. She was born June 25, 1909 in New York City.
Mrs. Shullman was a school teacher at P.S. No. 6 in the New York City Elementary School System. She enjoyed Classical and Opera music.
She is survived by sons, Eric N. (Susie) of Mendham, N.J,. and Carl S. (Carole) of Birmingham; grandchildren, Graham, Katie, David and Annie.
Funeral arrangements were handled by William J. Leber Funeral Home in Chester, N.J. Interment
was private. Memorial tributes may be sent to the Children's Defense Fund, 25 East Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.
Felix E. Mock, Jr.
Felix Mock, Jr., 91, of Beverly Hills, died Jan. 23, 2003, in Camden, S.C. He was born in Biggers, Ark.
Mr. Mock was a U.S. Army veteran, a first lieutenant, during world War II, serving in the European Theater. He retired after 52 years as an agent with New York Life. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham and attended Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Camden, S.C.
He is survived by wife, Virginia; sons, Felix E., III (Cara) of Camden, S.C. and Steven G. of Beverly Hills; granddaughter, Anna Virginia; and brothers, Jack of Memphis, Tenn., and Lewis of Biggers, Ark.
Memorial services will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements were handled by Kornegay Funeral Home in Camden, S.C. Memorial tributes may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter, 26111 Evergreen, Suite No. 100, Southfield, Mich. 48076.
