Local obituaries for Kalamazoo, Portage, & Climax MI.
Vickie Kay Houghtlen
Dec 24, 2024
Passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 24, 2024. Vickie was born on June 20, 1949, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to the late William and Rose B. (Cole) Jones. Early in her life, after graduating high school, Vickie joined the work force. She would go on to have many jobs in her life; the most important thing to her was...
Linda Louise Hartman
Dec 22, 2024
Linda Louise Hartman, age 80, of Portage passed away December 22, 2024. She was born July 20, 1944, in Vicksburg, Michigan to the late Howard F. and Barbara J. (Churchill) Baughman.
Linda was a graduate of Portage Central High School and continued her education by earning a business degree. She worked as a data entry analyst at Upjohn for many years...
Franklin Lamont VanOosten
Dec 21, 2024
Franklin Lamont VanOosten, age 89, of Kalamazoo passed away December 21, 2024. He was born February 26, 1935, in Parchment, Michigan to the late Frank and Dorothy (Ryder) VanOosten.
Franklin was a plant manager at Checker Motors for many years. He also worked at Upjohn before dedicating his time as the business manager and co-leading the Seniors Ministries for Centerpoint Church,...
Anthony Paul Learman
Dec 19, 2024
Anthony Paul Learman, age 36, of Kalamazoo passed away unexpectedly on December 19, 2024. He was born April 16, 1988, in Kalamazoo to Perry and Cynthia (Pieknik) Learman.
Anthony graduated from Hackett High School in 2006. He worked for the Kalamazoo Gazette and MLive doing high school sports stats. In June of 2015, Anthony took a job with GateHouse Media in...
Brent A. Dunifin
Dec 18, 2024
Brent A. Dunifin, age 58 of Kalamazoo, died unexpectedly of natural causes on December 18, 2024. He was born on September 23, 1966, in Kalamazoo, the son of Clarence “Duffy” and Wanda (Ballinger) Dunifin. Brent was a 1984 graduate of Parchment High School. He worked for several years at A.M. Todd and had been at Rettenmaier for the last 20...
Nancy L. Dingman
Dec 17, 2024
Passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at Life Care of Plainwell with her family by her side. Nancy was born on February 24, 1937, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to the late Fitzhugh and Edith (Hein) Robles. After completing high school, Nancy worked for Borgess Medical Center for over 30 years. Also early in her life, Nancy married the love of her...
Mary Ellen Purdham
Dec 17, 2024
Passed away on December 17, 2024, at the age of 95. Mary was born on April 1, 1929, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of Albert V. Kimball, Sr. and Isabelle Ann (Stevens) Kimball.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Purdham; sister, Virginia Davis; and brother, Albert V. Kimball, Jr.
Growing up, sports were always her true passion. In 1948, Mary...
M. Eugene Rhodes
Dec 17, 2024
Myron Eugene Rhodes “Gene the Pumpkin Man,” age 88 of Kalamazoo, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. He was born on February 11, 1936, in Kalamazoo, the son of Ralph and Evelyn (Harris) Rhodes. He was a 1954 graduate of Mattawan High School. For 10 years he was a clerk at the Kalamazoo...
Hannah E. Steinfeld
Dec 17, 2024
Hannah E. Steinfeld, age 93 of Kalamazoo, died at Wings Home under hospice care on December 17, 2024. She was born on July 10, 1931, in Dowagiac, the daughter of Clark and Lora (Stockwell) Churchill. Hannah was a graduate of Dowagiac Union High School. She was a baker at the Loy Norrix High School for 15 years. On April 20,...
Dennis "Casey" Lavender
Dec 15, 2024
D. Casey Lavender, a lifelong resident of Portage, Michigan, passed away peacefully on December 15, 2024. Casey was 77 years old.
Casey was a U.S. Navy veteran. He was the former owner of Suburban Mechanical Company, where he dedicated his career to hard work and excellence. Outside of his professional life, he was an avid fisherman who found joy and tranquility...
Jon A Reeves
Dec 15, 2024
Jon A Reeves left this plane of existence, holding the hand of the love of his life, while "Back Home Again" by John Denver played, on December 15, 2024, at 4:02am, after a yearlong journey with Glioblastoma.
So how do we sum up a force of nature like Jon? In truth, we can't. We can tell you he was born on...
Charlene Ruth Kay
Dec 15, 2024
Charlene Ruth Kay, 95, of Portage, Michigan, passed away on December 15, 2024.
Char was born on August 2, 1929, to Lawrence and Mary Hicks in Dimondale, Michigan. She spent her early years in Dimondale, Jackson, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, and graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1947.
Char was the proud mother of five children: Sandra, Steve, Michael, Kelley, and Scott....
Leonard E. Wagaman
Dec 13, 2024
Leonard (Len) Eugene Wagaman, 98 of Kalamazoo, MI peacefully entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, during the early morning hours of December 13, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Dementia. Leonard longed for the day when he would see Jesus and spoke of it often with his family and friends. He was born in...
Thomas L. Stimson
Dec 12, 2024
Passed away Thursday, December 12, 2024, and the age of 77 with his family by his side. Thomas was born on December 17, 1946, in Lansing, Michigan, to the late John G and Frances (Barnett) Stimson. Tom played football for Ovid High school and loved helping his father on the family farm in Laingsburg, Michigan. After graduating from Owosso High...
Christa Brigitte Sabine Hedlich
Dec 11, 2024
Christa Brigitte Sabine Hedlich (nee von Kannewurff), 81, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away on December 11, 2024. Christa was born in Berlin, Germany, on January 17, 1943, to the late Ernst and Erna von Kannewurff. She attended primary and secondary school in Berlin. Christa swam for the Strandbad Plötzensee swim team. She completed her studies in Hospitality and started studies...
Sandra Dickinson
Dec 11, 2024
Sandra Kay Dickinson, age 84, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away peacefully at her home on December 11, 2024. She was born on July 11, 1940, in Franklin, Indiana, to John and Margaret (McGinnis) Ingle. Known to those who loved her as “Kay,” she spent her formative years in Franklin, Indiana, where she received her bachelor’s degree from Franklin College. She...
Delight A. Roll
Dec 11, 2024
Delight A. Roll, age 85 of Plainwell, died on December 11, 2024. She was born on October 8, 1939, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of Harold and Bessie (Flegal) Derksen. She was a 1957 graduate of Plainwell High School. Delight was determined and hardworking. She attended WMU and eventually received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UofM, specializing in geriatric nursing....
Sally Matheson Rathburn
Dec 10, 2024
Our beloved wife, mother and grandmother Sally Rathburn passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on December 10, 2024, after a short courageous battle of cancer.
Sally was the heart and soul of her family, and she will be dearly missed.
Sally was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Viva and Richard Matheson on July 9,1940. She went to high school at...
Linda Mae Benjamin
Dec 8, 2024
Linda Mae (Stevens) Benjamin, age 87, passed away on Sunday, December 8th at 10:52 pm at Rose Arbor after a short battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, John Henry Benjamin, a daughter, Bonnie (Jim) Longhurst, a son, John (Tammy) Benjamin, and a daughter, Nancy (Ron) Saline, seven grandchildren, Jessie Lyke, Jarrett (Jordan) Lyke, Taylor...
Barbara J. Cronk
Dec 7, 2024
Barbara Jean Cronk of Kalamazoo passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, December 7th, 2024, after a short bout with pneumonia. She was 97 years old, born on May 5th of 1927. Barbara was preceded in death by her mother and father (Gladys May and William “Buster” Cronk), her brothers (Robert and David Cronk), and her sister Marcille Rynd. She is...
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