David Luke Swartzendruber
age 18, died May 22, 2005 at his home in North Branch. David was born April 26, 1987, in Iowa City, Iowa. David is survived by his parents, Bernard and Deborah Swartzendruber, brother, Jonathan and grandparents, Stanley Swartzendruber and Dwayne and Berdetta Byers. He is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins. David is preceded in death by his brother, Joshua and grandmother, Edna Swartzendruber. Funeral at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Rd., (between 14-15 Mile Rd.), Clawson, Thursday 11am. Visitation at the Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, Capstick Chapel, 542 Liberty St., Lapeer, Tuesday 3-9pm and at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, Clawson, Wednesday 2-9pm. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy. Memorials appreciated to Joshua House Children’s Home, c/o 4101 Barnes Rd., North Branch, Michigan 48461.
Nicholas Dunchock
age 90, long time resident of Bloomfield Hills, died May 23, 2005, at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Mr. Dunchock was born September 27, 1914, in Ramey, Pennsylvania. Mr. Dunchock is survived by his wife of 68 years, Josephine and children, G. Joan (William) Vetter and Arnold (Dianne) Dunchock. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Dana, Marcia and Kellie and great-grandchildren, Samantha, Sydney, Tyler, Trevor and Jeri. Funeral from Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2225 E. 14 Mile Road, Birmingham, Friday 11am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 10am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Thursday 3-8pm. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy. Memorials appreciated to Our Shepherd Lutheran Church – Elevating the Love of Christ Fund, 2225 E. 14 Mile Road, Birmingham, Michigan 48009.
Speranza V. (Hope) DeBenedictis
age 88, of Farmington Hills, died May 21, 2005, at Heartland Living of West Bloomfield. Mrs. DeBenedictis was born January 8, 1917, in Sora, Lazio, Italy. She came to Detroit in 1938. Mrs. DeBenedictis worked for more than thirty years making custom draperies for some of the Detroit area’s showcase homes. She was also a life long member of two Detroit based Italian organizations, Sorana Society Femminile and San Pacrazio Martyr. Mrs. DeBenedictis is survived by her sons, Frank P. (Lorraine) and David A. (Janice) DeBenedictis and grandchildren, Alison, Kent and Grant. She is preceded in death by her husband, Philip, 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Funeral from Church of St. Bede, 12 Mile at Southfield Rd., Saturday 10am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 9:30am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Rd. (between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Friday 3-9pm. Interment in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Detroit.
Josephine B. Smith
age 90, of Troy, died suddenly May 23, 2005, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Mrs. Smith was born March 15, 1915, in Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Smith was a long time resident of Clawson and Troy, and was a member of the Woodside Bible Church, Troy. She retired as a postal clerk at the Birmingham U.S. Post Office. She enjoyed bible study and Pinochle, but especially spending time with her family and friends. Mrs. Smith is survived by her daughter, Betty Schweikert, grandchildren, Tanya-Jo, Amy, Tressa, Joshua and Wendy. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Sharon Smith, sister-in-law, Genevieve Ofiara and many nieces, nephews and church community friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Clarence H. Smith, Jr. and son, Robert Smith. Funeral from Woodside Bible Church, Thursday, 11am. Friends may visit at the church beginning at 10am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Wednesday 3-9pm. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy. Memorials are appreciated to Woodside Bible Church, 6600 Rochester Road, Troy, MI 48085 or the American Cancer Society 18505 W. Twelve Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48076.
David Schiefer, radio name, Dave Shafer. Written by Susan Whitall - Detroit News. Former Detroit air personality Dave Shafer, whose voice and name are well-known from his stint as a jock at CKLW-AM (800), died Sunday in Florida of complications from outpatient surgery. He was 73. Shafer was probably best known as one of the original Big 8 jocks during the Windsor station’s fabled tenure as the flame-throwing 1960s musical powerhouse of the Midwest. CKLW was big and loud, and the voices like Shafer’s that introduced the music were memorable even in the 30 seconds they had between records. But before he hit the Big 8, Shafer had already made his mark in Detroit radio at a more leisurely pace. The Rochester, N.Y., native came to Detroit in 1961 to work as a record librarian at WJBK-AM, then known as “Radio 15,” a top pop radio station. Later that year , he was tapped to be the nighttime jock, “Jack the Bellboy,” on WJBK, a franchise that started years earlier with Ed McKenzie. Shafer’s laid-back personality was a winner with fans. As a music jock, he also was known for the record hops he hosted, giving early exposure to Motown acts Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas. By May of 1963, Shafer had moved across the Detroit River to do afternoons at the pre-Big 8 CKLW, then known as the somewhat sleepy “Radio 80,” with the jocks known as “The Good Guys.” Shafer left CK in ’68, then returned in the ‘70s as program director. “I first met Dave Shafer when I started on the switchboard at CKLW,” said Rosalie Trombley. “Eventually, I ended up working for him when I became music director. Dave was one of the good guys. He was always a gentleman, he had a great sense of humor.” That sense of humor got Shafer in hot water one time with CKLW’s notoriously difficult program director, Paul Drew. As former CKLW jock “Big” Jim Edwards tells it, Shafer was working a weekend shift and decided to bring in a lawn chair so he could do his show reclining in comfort. Drew often made surprise visits to the studio to check on the jocks, and he stopped by on this particular day. When he saw Shafer in the lawn chair, Drew went ballistic. “Such a humble man, he was loved by everyone who knew him,” said Edwards of Shafer. Later in his career, Shafer served as a program director at radio stations WCAR, WOMC, and WCZY in Detroit. At last September’s Radio Reunion in Novi, which Shafer attended, another former CKLW colleague, Dick Purtan, brought the house down when he remarked: “Dave was an unusual program director in that he actually liked people.” On Monday, Purtan remembered Shafer’s facility for dialects. One time, Purtan had conducted a “Ghandi Look-alike Contest” for his CKLW morning show. The winners, as well as the station staffers and their spouses, all traveled to New York to see the somewhat risqué show “Oh! Calcutta.” During the play’s infamous nude scene, “you could hear a pin drop,” as Purtan recalls. “All of a sudden you hear this very deep voice say, in a German accent, ‘Vat is dis?’ We all laughed so hard and for so long that the people in the audience started yelling at us to leave the theater, and we did. All because of Dave. “Dave was funnier off the air than he was on,” Purtan recalls. “He got caught up in the restrictive format at CKLW. I escaped that and somehow got away with doing my own thing.” CKLW’s “Brother” Bill Gable called Shafer “my earliest mentor.” “Dave was effortlessly funny. He would crack all of us up in the hallways.” Shafer retired 14 years ago, living just south of Tampa and playing golf four times a week. A Detroit memorial service is planned for May 23, at Lynch & Sons, 1368 N. Crooks Road in Clawson, with visitation at 11 a.m. and the service at 1p.m. Shafer is survived by wife Kathy, sons Michael and Terry, daughter Tammy and seven grandchildren.
Linda A. Stieler (LeVon)
age 42, of West Bloomfield, died May 24, 2006, at Huron Valley Hospital in Commerce Twp.. Linda was born in Southfield. Linda is survived by her husband, Carl Stieler, special friend, Daniel Clark, parents, Leo and Joanne LeVon and siblings, Michael (Margaret), Leo (Monica), Edward (Laurie) and Greg (Lori). She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, Christopher, Ben, Mark, Cassie, Connor, Abby, Myranda, Donnie, Henry and Lucy, step-children, Cassandra, Brianna, Daniel and Andrew Stieler and god-children, Mark and Lil’ Lucy. Funeral from Our Lady of LaSalette Church , Coolidge (Between 11 and 12 Mile Rds.) Saturday 12noon. Friends may visit at church beginning at 11:30am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Friday 12-8pm and Saturday 9-10am. Interment in Roseland Park Cemetery. Memorials appreciated to CaringBridge, 3440 Federal Drive, Suite 100, Eagan, MN 55124 or online through Linda’s website at www2.caringbridge.org/mi/linda or to The Natalie & Manny Charach Cancer Treatment Center at www.dmc.org/hvsh/giving.
Philip D. Troy
age 70, died May 25, 2006, at William Beaumont Hospital in Troy. Mr. Troy was born April 3, 1936, in Detroit. Mr. Troy graduated from St. Leo’s High School in Detroit and married Perry Aldrich on October 19, 1957. He retired from Hoskins Manufacturing in Hamburg, Michigan, where he was a plant manager, in 1995. Mr. Troy was a great craftsman who could build and fix just about anything. He enjoyed golf, bowling and shopping but especially enjoyed spending time with his family. Mr. Troy is survived by his wife, Perry and children, Mary (Craig) Prena, Michael (Laurie) and Tammy Troy. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Heather, Michelle, Nathan, nasya and Shauna and sisters, Maxine Hankins and Esther Lawson. Mr. Troy is preceded in death by his brother, Melvin Dzieglewicz. Funeral from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 280 E. Square Lake Road, Troy, Saturday 11am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 10am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Friday 2-9pm. Prayer service Friday 7pm. Memorials appreciated to American Cancer Society, 18505 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076.
Betty A. Farrell
age 81, a longtime resident of Royal Oak, died April 3, 2007, at Alexander Mercy Living Center in Royal Oak. Ms. Farrell was born August 12, 1925, in Detroit. She enjoyed gardening and playing cards with her neighbors, but she especially enjoyed spending time with her family. Ms. Farrell is survived by her daughter, Carol (Tom) DeVries and grandchildren, Sheryl (Pat) Franks, Susan (Mike) Mayowski, Michelle DeVries, Shelly Walker and Megan (John) Felk. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Donna, Hannah, Christian, Jonathan, Jacob, Emma, Nathan and John and brother, Mike (Pat) Baldwin. Ms. Farrell is preceded in death by her son, Rick Farrell and former husband, Andy Farrell. Funeral at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Saturday 10am. Visitation Friday 2-9pm. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy. Memorials appreciated to the Michigan Humane Society, 26711 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 175, Southfield, Michigan 48034-2139.
Edward G. Mynarzy
age 80, of Birmingham, died March 31, 2007, at St. Joseph Hospital in Pontiac. Mr. Mynarzy was born September 10, 1926, in Detroit. He married Joanne Klein in 1950 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Saginaw. Mr. Mynarzy built homes in Saginaw before moving to Detroit where he worked as a manufacturer’s representative. Most recently he worked in the Oakland County Probation Department. His greatest joy came from guiding his children.
Mr. Mynarzy is survived by his wife, Joanne and children, Joellen (Rodney) Navarre, Jon (Angela) Mynarzy, Sarah (Daniel) Pickett, Jennifer (John) VanNorman and Angela (Christopher) Branstrom. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, brother, Eman Siroky of Chatham, Ontario, CA, and brothers and sisters-in-law, Jeannette Klein, Barbara Klein, Shirley (Robert) Fanger and Kenneth (Janice) Klein. Mr. Mynarzy is preceded in death by his brothers-in-law, Alfred and Clifford Klein.
Funeral at Our Shepherd Lutheran Chruch, 2225 E. Fourteen Mile Road, Birmingham, Wednesday 12pm. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Tuesday 2-8pm. Interment of cremated remains at Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery, Saginaw, Michigan.
Memorials appreciated to Carol’s Cupboard, c/o Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2225 E. Fourteen Mile Road, Birmingham, Michigan 48009.
June Elizabeth Graessle
age 88, of Redford Twp., died March 29, 2007, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. Mrs. Graessle was born March 27, 1919, in Buchtel, Ohio.
Mrs. Graessle is survived by her daughters, Janet Elizabeth (John) Cramer-Binkley and Jill (Denis) Naeger and grandchildren, Joy Elizabeth (Scott) Kurtz, Joel Frederick Cramer, Joseph Patrick Naeger, James Andrew Naeger, Joshua Denis Naeger and Jeffrey Blaise Naeger. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Jillian and Jack Kurtz. Mrs. Graessle is preceded in death by her husband, Frederick and brother, Dean Shingler.
Funeral from Sacred Heart Church, 3360 Adams Road, Auburn Hills, Monday 10:30am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 10am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Sunday 2-8pm. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy.
Memorials appreciated to U of D Jesuit High School, June E. Graessle Memorial Fund, 8400 S. Cambridge Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48221.
