Glenda Farrell

Glenda Joann Farrell passed away on May 4, 2024, at Alamo Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.  She was born July 18, 1939, in Grosse Point, Michigan, to Alfred William and Elsie Leona (Robart) Farrell.

She was a 1957 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School and a long-time Kalamazoo resident.  Glenda earned her associate's degree in dental hygiene at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in 1981. Glenda spent most of her career working for a privately owned public health organization formerly known as MARCHA (Migrant and Rural Community Health Association), later InterCare, focused on serving the underserved in rural communities, migrant camps, Head Start programs, and inner-city Benton Harbor. Initially, Glenda worked primarily out of Bangor and later in Benton Harbor. Glenda was deeply committed to her work with the underserved populations of Van Buren and Berrien Counties, making the trip daily on I-94 through all conditions.   After her retirement in 2007, Glenda cared for her mother, Elsie, until her death in 2010.

Glenda’s faith and faith in her community meant a great deal to her. She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she was a faithful participant in worship and Bible study.  She also served as the coordinator of the after-church “Coffee Plus” for a number of years.  

Glenda was an energetic, fun-loving person with a zest for life. She loved nature, dogs, flowers, and gardening.  She loved to dance and was an Arthur Murray ballroom dance instructor. She also enjoyed spending time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and trips to England, Ireland, and France, with particularly fond memories of visiting Paris.

Glenda was preceded in death by her parents and by her dear friend Clyde “Chum” Kurzinski.   She is survived by her half-brother Alfred Farrell, of California, cousins Loma Lyndia Aye and Jill Chan, friends, and a loving church family.   

In the last years of her life, Glenda was grateful for the loving care and support she received from Jodie Gerard, Roland and Becky Perkins, and the staff at Alamo.

The interment will be in Oaklawn Chapel Gardens, Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, at a later date.

Memorial gifts in honor of Glenda may be made to

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1515 Helen Avenue, Portage, MI 49002