Donald J. Musser
age 78, of Troy, died March 28, 2007, in Florida. Mr. Musser was born December 22, 1928, in Hamtramck. He served in the Navy during WWII.
Mr. Musser is survived by his wife, Antoinette “Noella” and children, Michelle (David) Motyl, Laurie (Jef) Mead, Lynn Stanton (fiancé, Jack Perkowski), Renee (Gary) Pieciak and Deena (Jeff) Freiburger. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Christopher (Katie), Jeffrey, Adam, Connor, Rachel, Julie, Brian and Sarah, sister, Delores (Lenny) Gajewski and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Musser is preceded in death by his mother, Catherine Moskwa and uncle, Leonard (Sylvia) Moskwa.
Funeral from Guardian Angels Church, 581 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, Wednesday 10am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 9:30am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Tuesday 2-9pm. Prayers Tuesday 7pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2265 Livernois, Suite 410, Troy, Michigan 48083 or the American Cancer Society, 18505 W. 12 Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076.
John P. O’Neill
age 82, died in his Birmingham home on Friday, March 16, 2007. Mr. O’Neill was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 18, 1925. His studies at the University of Notre Dame were interrupted by the war, and after serving in the Navy, he returned to Notre Dame and obtained a degree in electrical engineering. Mr. O’Neill comes from a line of lawyers – both his father and grandfather were lawyers, and he attended law school at the University of Detroit while teaching radio and electronics at a trade school and managing the racing division of the Connell Cadillac dealership.
After graduating from law school, Mr. O’Neill went into private practice with his brother-in-law. Many of Mr. O’Neill’s early clients were customers of the dealership and students from the technical school. As his clientele matured, so did his law practice, and by the late 1960’s, he was principally engaged in handling business and securities matters. Nevertheless, he never thought of himself as anything other than a general practice attorney. He was virtually unique in the fact that he had handled matters ranging from murder trials to securities registrations, and almost everything else in between.
Mr. O’Neill had his office in the Fisher Building until 1969, when he moved his firm to Birmingham. At the time of his death, Mr. O’Neill was of counsel to the firm of Williams, Williams, Ruby & Plunkett.
Mr. O’Neill married Mary Ann Blinstrub in 1950. In 1979, the couple bought a family restaurant in Burdickville and transformed it into the award-winning French Restaurant, La Bécasse. The restaurant, which the O’Neills sold in 1989, is still in operation. Mrs. O’Neill, the light of his life, died in 2003. Mr. O’Neill had a keen interest in automobiles, aircraft, and the Detroit Tigers.
Mr. O’Neill is survived by his children, John II (Linda), Michael, Mary, Ellen and Anne O’Neill; grandchildren, Erin, Colleen, Stephanie, Gerard and Kenya and sister, Shirley O’Neill Gibbs. Mr. O’Neill is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann O’Neill.
Funeral from Holy Name Church, 630 Harmon, Birmingham, Tuesday 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.) Monday 2-9pm. Prayers Monday evening. Interment in Greenwood Cemetery, Birmingham.
Contributions to The Nature Conservancy appreciated.
Genevieve "Arline" Landreau
age 82, of Pleasant Ridge, died March 19, 2007, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Ms. Landreau was born December 6, 1924, in Detroit.
Ms. Landreau is survived by her brother, C. John (Mary) Landreau, sister, Mary Jeanette (Wayne) Krug and many adoring nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her sisters, Bernadine Johnson and Leola Krug.
Funeral from St. Columbkille Church, Ubly, Michigan, Friday 11am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Wednesday 5-8pm and Thursday 2-8pm. Interment in St. Columbkille Cemetery, Ubly, Michigan.
Memorials appreciated to American Cancer Society, 18505 W. 12 Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076 or Beaumont Hospice, 3601 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073-9952.
Lupe R. Gonzalez
of Detroit, died March 24, 2007, at Detroit Receiving Hospital. She was a receptionist at Most Holy Trinity Rectory for 40 years and was known as the “patient voice of Trinity”.
Lupe is survived by her daughter, Beatrice “Nursie” (Vince) Morris, grandchildren, Stephen Gonzalez Morris and Nia Gonzalez Morris, great-grandson, K.C. Gonzalez Williams and sisters, Aurora (George) Michael and Jessie Johnson. She is preceded in death by her son, Ricardo.
Mass of Christian Burial, Thursday 10am at Most Holy Trinity Church, 1050 Porter at 6th Street, Detroit. Friends may visit at church Wednesday 12-9pm. Scripture Vigil, 7pm.
Memorials appreciated to K.C. Gonzalez-Williams Education Fund.
Harry Hansen
age 77, died March 17, 2007 at the Shelby Nursing Center in Shelby Twp. Mr. Hansen was born in Detroit and attended Lincoln High School. He served his country in United States Navy aboard the USS Columbus and was a proud union electrician and member of IBEW local 58 for over 50 years. His sense of humor and his big heart will truly be missed.
Mr. Hansen is survived by his loving children, Susan (Robert) Mathews, Stephen (Rosa), Paul (Lisa), Catherine (Michael) Drumm, Christopher (Corina) Hansen. Proud grandfather to Frances, Paul, Nicholas, William, and James. Mr. Hansen is preceded in death by his beloved wife Joan (nee Connolly); parents, Hans and Dorothy Hansen and siblings, Howard and Helen.
Memorial service at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Rd. (between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Friday 11am. Contribution to Hospice of Michigan, 400 Mack Avenue Detroit, MI 48201.
Anthony “Tony” Pach
age 92, died March 17, 2007 at his home in Madison Heights. Mr. Pach was born October 24, 1914 in Escanaba, Michigan and proudly served his country during World War II in the United States Army as an Technical Sergeant with the 1045th Army Air Force Base Unit. Mr. Pach was the founder and owner of Airline Auto Electric in Hazel Park. He loved hunting, fishing and gardening. He was a kind, affectionate and hardworking father. He will be missed greatly by his children and grandchildren.
Mr. Pach is survived by his children, Carol Pach, Kathleen (the late Russell) Carle, Anthony (Annette), Denise (Steve) Ragap; five grandchildren; two great-grandsons and brother, Stanley Pach. Mr. Pach is preceded in death by his wife, Esther and son, Dennis Pach.
Funeral from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 1071 E. Gardenia, Madison Heights, Wednesday 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.) Tuesday 4-9pm. Prayers Tuesday evening. Interment in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy.
Contribution to Odyssey Healthcare, 2611 Evergreen, Ste. 301, Southfield, MI 48076.
Duane T. Rao
age 54, of Troy, Michigan, died at Henry Ford Hospital Sunday, January 28, 2007 after a gallant fight against cancer. Mr. Rao was born August 16, 1952 in Detroit and was a 1970 graduate of De LaSalle High School, where he was an “All City” and “All East Side” star quarterback.
Mr. Rao was an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. After a career ending injury in 1970 while a quarterback for the University of Michigan, which ended his dream to play football, he joined his father, Leonard Rao in 1972 in the wholesale tire business. In 1981, Mr. Rao bought four Uniroyal tire stores in Detroit, creating the tire chain that became known as Metro 25 Tire Centers. By the mid-90’s, Metro 25 had 16 retail stores and its wholesale division was supplying more than 400 stores, making it the biggest Uniroyal tire distributor in the country with annual revenue of $50 million. The company was also part owner of a private-label tire manufacturer that generated another $200 million in annually sales.
Always on the lookout for new business prospects, Mr. Rao had the uncanny ability to stay “ahead of the curve” being quick to seize opportunities focused on emerging technology. In 1984, he established MetroCell, a provider of cellular and paging services. In 1998, MetroCell had 200,000 customers and revenue of approximately $17 million.
In 1995, Mr. Rao began researching the variety of Internet opportunities. In 1997, he decided to sell both his wholesale tire business and his retail tire stores and established BigNet, an Internet service provider, which he later sold in 2003.
Again, true to his ability to foresee “the next big thing,” Mr. Rao saw the public’s interest in selling items on eBay and other auction sites. This led him to launch his QuickDrop store in Clinton Township in 2004, where for a percentage of the auction’s selling price, QuickDrop would supply full-services, including photographing, product description and handling the delivery of the items.
In recent years, as he continued to pursue more business and real estate opportunities, Mr. Rao’s health became increasingly challenging, yet he remained a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend. Mr. Rao was extremely proud of his children and their sporting activities, which included his daughter, Lauren’s diving, track, music and drama at Notre Dame Prep High School. He was a dedicated coach for his son, Nick’s St. Hugo football team and U12 Federation Baseball team, The Troy Tigers for a number of years. Nick also plays basketball at St. Hugo’s and travel hockey for the Crank’s Hockey Club in Troy, where Mr. Rao offered much support.
Mr. Rao is survived by his beloved wife, Kellie; loving daughter, Lauren and son, Nick.; sisters, Nancy (John) Privett and Cindy (Bruce) Kennedy ; brother, Allen (Bonnie) Rao; sister in-law, Marilyn Rao and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Rao is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Elizabeth Rao and brother, Kenny Rao.
Funeral at St. Hugo of the Hills, 2215 Opdyke Rd., Bloomfield Hills, Friday 10am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 9am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Rd (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Wednesday 5-9pm and Thursday 2-9pm. Celebration of Life Service, Thursday 7pm. Graveside committal service in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy.
Memorial contributions appreciated to The Lauren and Nick Rao Educational Fund, (Payable to: Kellie Rao) c/o Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors.
Beverly Gifford
age 49 of Oakland Township, died January 30, 2007 at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Beverly was born on January 14, 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri to the parents of Clyde and Patricia Hanft. She lived most of her childhood in Indianapolis, Indiana, graduating with honors from Northwest High School, where she met her future husband, Daron. After high school, she attended nursing school at Indiana University (Associate of Science in Nursing) and Ohio University (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) graduating Summa Cum Laude. She moved to southeastern Michigan over 20 years ago with her husband and family.
Beverly had a lifelong passion for caring for other people. She displayed this through her chosen profession, nursing, which she loved, and was a Registered Nurse for over 27 years. As a nurse, Bev worked in a variety of medical areas including kidney transplant, operating room, visiting nurse, charge nurse in a nursing home, sex change floor in a major hospital and psychiatric nursing. While a psych nurse, she became especially intrigued by the variety and complexity of mental illness, and the care required to help the mentally ill. She continuously read about new case studies and approaches to treatment, and also volunteered her time to help, most recently with a special home for the adult mentally ill. Even after her death, she continued to care for others by donating her organs and tissue to the Gift of Life program, serving multiple individuals in need around the country.
Volunteering her time was another passion for Bev, spending significant time in various activities with her parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Community, and her children’s schools, Notre Dame Preparatory school and Marist Academy. Each year, because of her enthusiasm for theater, she helped with the costumes and make-up for the spring musical. Over the past six years, she coached the Color Guard for the band at Notre Dame Prep, and dearly loved the opportunity to positively influence the lives of her “girls” during their high school years. She was especially proud of the many awards the Color Guard team won, typically winning the “most improved” awards at summer camp. In the early 1990’s, Bev helped organize an adult women’s soccer team in Troy, where she established a close network of friends which continues today. She also volunteered her time in other ways, including delivering meals to the homebound, being den mother for Cub Scouts, and just visiting friends in the hospital who needed someone to talk to. In addition, Bev was involved in the Deacon formation program for the Archdiocese of Detroit, supporting her husband’s efforts in the many commitments to become an ordained Deacon through classes, studies and personal development at Sacred Heart Seminary, parishes and volunteer activities in the southeast Michigan area.
She was a devoted and loving mother to three children, Meredith (22), Sam (18) and Joe (14), whom she nurtured and cared for in a close loving way. Bev was especially proud of the many accomplishments of each of her children, providing guidance and support in any endeavor that they were truly committed to undertake. Over the past nine months, Bev struggled mightily to recover from a massive cerebral hemorrhage and stroke which incapacitated her functional abilities. Her family, friends and caregivers supported her recovery each day, committing their time and love to helping her come back.
Beverly is survived by her beloved husband, Daron; loving children, Meredith, Sam, and Joe; siblings, John (Lynn) Scheetz, Paul (Kay) Hanft, Diane (Ed) Zirnheld, Trudy (Bruce) Guisendorf, Lydia (Tom) Trotter, Lisa White, and Brian Hanft.; Daron Gifford’s parents, Dick and Eiko Gifford. Also, many nieces, nephews, and friends. Beverly is preceded in death by her parents, Clyde and Patricia Hanft of Indianapolis, Indiana.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 280 E. Square Lake Rd., Troy, Saturday 10am. Friends may visit at church beginning at 9am. Visitation at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Rd. (between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Friday 1-9pm. Prayer service at 7pm. Interment in Guardian Angel Cemetery
Memorials appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Fund.
Jean Marie Kelly
of Bloomfield Township died on January 25, 2007 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. Mrs. Kelly was born on January 30, 1921 in Highland Park, Michigan. She attended Detroit Public Schools including Roosevelt and Central and earned a bachelors degree in education from Wayne State University. Mrs. Kelly began her teaching career with Detroit Public Schools where she taught for four years. She met her future husband in 1942 when he was serving in the Navy with her brother. After his discharge in 1946, Jean Larsen married Robert Kelly and had two sons, Patrick and James. Mrs. Kelly taught fifth grade at Bloomfield Elementary School and received her master’s degree in remedial reading. She continued her distinguished teaching career in Birmingham Public Schools first teaching elementary school and later becoming Chair of the Birmingham Schools Reading Department. Mrs. Kelly was the past president of the American Association of University Women. Mrs. Kelly championed state and local initiatives to focus attention and resources on the needs of children with reading difficulties. She also helped found Oakland County Reading Association and Young Authors Program. Mrs. Kelly loved children, playing bridge and golf, traveling and was a member of numerous organizations. She was a former member of the Garland Golf Club, Friends of the Baldwin Public Library, Huron River Club, Village Women’s Club.
Mrs. Kelly is survived by her husband of sixty years, Robert; children, Patrick and James; grandchildren, Patrick, James, Ryan, and Colton; and great-grandchildren, Shane and Brendan.
Funeral at Holy Name Church, 630 Harmon, Birmingham, Monday at 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.) Sunday 3-8pm.
Memorials appreciated to Baldwin Public Library Trust for the Jean Kelly Endowment, 300 W. Merrill, Birmingham, Michigan 48009.
Gloria R. Fisher
age 71, of Warren, died January 28, 2007, at Angela Hospice in Livonia after a courageous battle with cancer. Gloria was born June 11, 1935, in Detroit, to John and Mary Vecore. Formerly of Detroit and Royal Oak, Gloria was an accomplished pianist who enjoyed music and animals but especially enjoyed spending time with her family.
Gloria is survived by her daughters, Linda (Chris) Farquhar and Donna (John) Petras, grandchildren, Sara, Bradley, Kaelyn and Megan and step grandchildren, Jennifer and Chris, Jr.. She is also survived by her step great-grandchildren, Bobby, Hunter and Mitchell, siblings, Norman, Calvin and John and several nieces and nephews. Gloria is preceded in death by her brother, Merwyn Vecore.
Funeral from Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (Between 14-15 Mile Rds.) Saturday 11am. Visitation Thursday 4-9pm and Friday 2-9pm.
Memorials appreciated to Angela Hospice, 14100 Newburgh, Livonia, Michigan 48154 or Leader Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 5000, Rochester, Michigan 48308-5000.
