Ruth Ann Rose

Ruth Ann Rose, 82, passed away in her sleep Saturday, February 6, 2021. She was born May 15, 1938 in Romulus, MI, to the late William and Mary (Brands) Gaines.

Ruth graduated from Wayne Memorial High School in 1956. She married her high school sweetheart, Jack Rose, on May 31, 1957.

She is survived by her brother, James Gaines, daughter, Jacklyn (Robert) Wood, granddaughter, Jessica (Travis) Harmon, great-grandchildren Haidyn and Hunter, grandson, Dustin Wood, great-grandchildren Elizabeth, Abigail, and Meredith, son, James Rose, granddaughter, Julie (Shane) Sears, great-grandchildren Lydia and Cora, granddaughter, Amanda (Josh) Dirschell, great-grandchildren Emma and Teighan, and grandson, Tyler (Molly) Rose.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary, five brothers William Jr., Joseph, Raymond, Charles, and Paul Gaines, and her husband, Jack Rose.

Ruth was a kind and caring woman that dedicated her life to her family and friends. She was a long time resident of Stockbridge, MI. She liked to cook, enjoyed spending time with her family, and loved to joke around. Ruth will be deeply missed by her family, friends and all who knew and loved her.

A memorial service will be held this spring with the date to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (curealz.org). Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington St., Suite 310, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. Phone: 781-237-3800, Fax: 781-658-2399, Email: info@curealz.org.

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Please note that your information will only be used by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund to record and acknowledge your gift. Cure Alzheimer’s Fund regards this information as confidential and does not share or sell information to any third party.

Vincent N. Haroney

Vincent Nicolas Haroney, age 96, of Northville, MI, passed away on Monday, February 1, the year of our Lord, 2021 at St. Mary Hospital in Livonia, MI. He was born November 20, 1924 in Buffalo, NY, the only son of Nicolas M. and Labiba (Morad) Haroney.

Vince served in the US Navy during World War II as a UDT Frogman in the Philippines and the Aleutian Islands. After he returned to the states, he attended college at the University of Detroit, and then the University of Springfield, MA, earning a Master’s degree in education. Employed by Oak Park High School and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Detroit, Vince was a respected teacher, mentor, and coach of many sports, including basketball, track, swimming, and diving. He could teach ANYTHING, but focused on teaching gym, English, and history at the schools.

He married Patricia Bacik on May 5, 1956, and together they raised six children. A humble family man, his family and his children were his life. He was a faithful member of St. Kenneth Catholic Church in Plymouth. Vince always liked pools, swimming, camping, golf, and tennis. He was an accomplished diver and trampolinist, was a "clown diver" at Brennan Pools in Detroit, and his favorite pastimes were playing cards and trying his luck at the horse track.

Vince shared his wisdom while parenting: always insightful in his manner of teaching, he would encourage rather than doing. Furthermore, Vince was an intense listener, calm and patient, and slow to react in his later years, in contrast to his younger years as a Frogman during the war.

He is survived by five children, Mary Patricia Haroney, Michael V. Haroney, Nicolas (Jennifer) Haroney, Julia A. (Hassan) El-Sabeh, Anne (James) Dawes; 13 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; son, Joseph P. Haroney; and three sisters and brothers-in-law, Margarett (George) Schervish, Ella (Rocky) Dattola, and Evelyn (Ambrose) Callaghan.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, February 12, 2021, 11:00 a.m., at St. Mary Catholic Church in Chelsea, MI, with the V. Rev. Dr. William J. Canon Turner officiating. At a later date, Vince will be laid to rest with his wife at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Vince's memory to the Wounded Warriors Project or the St. Louis Center of Chelsea. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Please Click here to view his Mass starting at 10:30 a.m. February 12, 2021

Joseph S. Sysol

Joseph S. Sysol, age 81, of Gregory, MI, passed away on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. He was born in Detroit, MI on February 22, 1939, son of Stanley J. and Clara (Sinskowski) Sysol. He married Joyce B. Thompson, and she preceded him in death in 2007.

Joseph lived in the Gregory area for over 50 years. He attended the Unadilla Presbyterian Church and was proud to be the mayor of Unadilla. Joseph liked to hunt, fish, and go camping up north. He was a member of the Detroit Teamsters & Carpenter Union, and he did both asphalt and construction work.

He is survived by his children, John (Maggie) Sysol of Onsted, Jeff (Karen) Sysol of Michigan Center, Jodi (Thomas) McCoy of Manchester, and James (Amy) Sysol of Michigan Center; 14 grandchildren and almost four great-grandchildren; as well as brothers, Doug Sysol of Colorado and Fred Sysol of Detroit, and sister, Carolin Sysol Davis of Tennessee.

A visitation is scheduled for Sunday, February 7, 2021, noon until 1 p.m., at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea. Funeral directors are following current Michigan Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for COVID-19; only 10 people are allowed to pay their respects at one time—those attending will be instructed accordingly, and masks must be worn. The memorial service and burial are private. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Joseph’s name to the Unadilla Presbyterian Church.

Yvonne Herron

Yvonne Herron, 85, of Chelsea, MI, died February 1, 2021 at home of cancer. A private burial service will be held with the Reverend Alan Gibson, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, officiating. Due to the pandemic, public visitation will not be held. A service in honor of Yvonne’s memory will be held once all may safely gather.

Yvonne, born May 28, 1935 in Flint, MI, was the daughter of the late Alfred Eric Jacobson and the late Ivy Millicent Jacobson. United in marriage to Thomas James Herron on June 11, 1960, at All Saints Catholic Church in Flint, they were lovingly married for 57 years until his death in 2017.

Yvonne graduated from Beecher High School a week before one of the deadliest tornadoes in US history destroyed her family home and those of hundreds of others. The embedded memories of that day remained with her throughout her life. Yvonne went on to Flint Junior College before transferring to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. She not only earned her BA from Michigan, but returned to twice complete graduate degrees, including a Masters in Education and a Masters in Library Science. At Michigan, she was inducted into honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Phi Mu. She began her professional career teaching at her alma mater, Beecher, in 1957.

After taking time off to raise her young children, Yvonne began working part-time at the Civic Park Library in Flint and later became a librarian at Northwestern High School. Over many years, Yvonne developed a diverse library that offered books reflective of the community which attended the school. Yvonne deeply believed in the importance of reading, accumulating a vast collection of books that she shared with friends and family. An avid tennis player, Yvonne also enjoyed frequent bridge games with friends and became a prolific weaver. After retiring from the Flint Community School system in 1992, she and Tom moved to Chelsea. Yvonne volunteered for the Chelsea District Library, and was an active member of the local Mystery Book Club. When she turned 70, she gifted herself a kayak. As she wrote in a letter to Time Magazine in 2007: “I can’t adequately describe the pleasure of paddling on lakes, rivers, and bays.” She continued kayaking in the Chelsea area for many years.

Surviving are her four children: daughter, Kristin Stacy Herron (Scott Gurney); sons, Erik Sean (LeaMarie), Jordan Thomas (Theresa), Brett Patrick (Nina Durniat); seven grandchildren, Ivy Meredith, Amelia Grace, Elijah Neil, Carter Thomas, and Ian Waldemar Herron and George Edward and Jane Neeve Gurney.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to St. Andrew’s Church, Ann Arbor, MI or to the Yvonne Herron Tribute Fund, which will offer scholarship support to students transferring from community college to the University of Michigan. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

William "Bill" W. Seaton

William (“Bill”) W. Seaton, 91, husband of Ruby Ayres Seaton, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 30, 2021, at Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, MI. Born September 23, 1929, in Danville, IL, he was the eldest son of the late William and Marjorie Cole Seaton. Bill attended St. Bernice High School in St. Bernice, IN, where he met his future wife, Ruby Ayres. They were married on Valentine’s Day in 1948, and lived in Dana, IN and Georgetown, IL before moving to Dexter, MI in 1958, where he lived the rest of his life.

Bill obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (BSE) in 1954 from General Motors Institute (GMI), and held jobs at the Central Foundry Division of GMC in Danville, IL and International Automation Corporation in Ann Arbor, MI before starting his own company, Seaton Engineering (later Seaton-SSK Engineering), in Ann Arbor. Bill and his company specialized in automatic metal pouring, and he became well known in the industry with numerous patents for design and for building automated pouring equipment. His most significant project was an order for the Soviet Union to design and build 33 large pouring cars, each capable of pouring three tons of iron. Bill and his company designed and manufactured a multitude of carrier systems and Bill traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, and Australia, consulting on their installation and operation before retiring and enjoying his winters in Florida with his wife, Ruby.

Never a man to sit idle, Bill obtained his pilot’s license after retiring, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and spent many years flying the skies over Michigan in a two-seater Cessna airplane as a member of the Michigan Fliers Club of Ann Arbor.

Bill is survived by his children, Ilona Samborn of Ann Arbor, and Greg Seaton of Plymouth, MI; his three granddaughters, Alison Samborn, Lindsey Seaton Cavendar, and Kara Seaton Rabouin; his two great-grandsons, Graeme Cavendar and Pete Rabouin; and his siblings, Delores (“Dolly”) Hadley of South Carolina, and Dennis Seaton of Kentucky.

At a future date, Bill will be laid to rest next to his late wife, Ruby, in Indiana. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Chelsea Retirement Community (Chelsea) or the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Edmund L. (Ted) Palmer

Edmund L. (Ted) Palmer died on January 27, 2021 in his Ann Arbor, MI home at the age of 97.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years, Elaine M. (Hadley) Palmer. Born in Toledo, OH to Mabel and Herbert Palmer, he lived most of his life in Ann Arbor, where his father had a successful photography business, Palmer Studios, in the Michigan Theater Building. After graduating from Ann Arbor High School in 1941, he served in the CBI (China Burma India) Theater of War during World War II. He was a military policeman and motorcycle dispatch rider at Kurmitola Air Base in India, where transport and bomber planes—including those of the famous Flying Tigers—took off to fly “the Hump,” the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Theater ribbon with three bronze stars for his military service.

After the war, he lived briefly in California, where he delivered blocks of ice to homes and restaurants and managed a bowling alley. After returning to Michigan, he earned both his BA and MA degrees and began a long career of teaching at Slauson Junior High School in Ann Arbor. He is fondly remembered by his students for stories that brought history alive, field trips to Tigers Stadium and Greenfield Village, and visits to his own “general store,” a recreation of a 19th century establishment.

After retirement, he enjoyed riding his motorcycle and driving his 1930 Model A Ford. He created beautiful gardens at his home, and spent many hours at local golf courses, where he maintained a highly-respectable eight handicap. He put his many home repair skills to work, helping friends and neighbors in Ann Arbor and on Fripp Island in South Carolina, where he and his wife maintained a vacation home for 36 years. On the island, he and his wife and dogs walked on the beach, enjoyed the native wildlife, and golfed at the island golf course.

In addition to his wife, Elaine, he is survived by several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and many close friends in Michigan, California, Tennessee, and Georgia. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings and several beloved cocker spaniels.

A funeral service is scheduled on Thursday, February 4, 2021, 1:00 p.m., at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea, Reverend Robert Livingston officiating. Visitation is on the same day at the funeral home, noon until the time of service. Funeral directors are following current Michigan Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for COVID-19; only 10 people are allowed to pay their respects at one time—those attending will be instructed accordingly, and masks must be worn. Interment is private at Washtenong Memorial Park, Ann Arbor. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Humane Society of Huron Valley, 3100 Cherry Hill Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

Please click here to see his funeral

George A. Staffan

George A. Staffan, age 81, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2021 in Howell, MI. He was born in Ann Arbor, MI on July 15, 1939, son of George L. and Kathryn A. (Hindelang) Staffan. George was a real estate developer, and the last in the line of Staffans to be involved with Staffan Funeral Home (now Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home).

He is survived by his daughters, Susan Staffan (Douglas) Wipperman of Traverse City, MI, Kristin (Paul) Rossi of Fayetteville, AR, and Andi (Chris) Dolinsky of Saratoga Springs, NY; as well as seven grandchildren.

Services are private, including burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chelsea. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan or St. Mary Catholic Church. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

J. F. (Jeff) Rentschler

J. F. (Jeff) Rentschler passed away January 22, 2021, at his home in Tecumseh, MI. He graduated from Ann Arbor High School, class of 1953, was a retired firefighter for the City of Ann Arbor, a breeder/shower of German Shepherd dogs, and ran a boarding kennel for several years. Jeff was born January 25, 1935, the only child of Edwin Doan and Lois Gates Rentschler. He married Dian Louise Hague, on June 25, 1955.

He is survived by his wife, Dian, daughters, Holly Lynn Rentschler and Dawn Marie (Alan) Reau; and eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, and daughter, Robin Lee Fallot.

At this time, due to current MDHHS COVID-19 restrictions, the services will be private for family only. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Harold D. Bennett

Harold Day Bennett of Chelsea, MI, age 89, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor on January 22, 2021. He was born the son of Myron and Grace (Caplan) Bennett on March 1, 1931. He married Phyllis E. (Reynolds) on June 6, 1953 in Ypsilanti. Harold and Phyllis spent 63 happily married years together while raising a family that made them both very proud. Phyllis preceded him in death on August 24, 2018.

Harold enjoyed refurbishing furniture, and owned an upholstery business for over 30 years, Harold’s Upholstery. He also enjoyed family camping trips to Northern Michigan, sitting around a campfire at “Camp Usher,” while welcoming the company of his family and close friends. He served in the Navy Reserves and was very proud of his country. Harold was a handyman at heart and loved to fix things—he could make anything like new again with just a piece of duct tape! He loved eating anything his wife or children cooked for him, and always enjoyed a cup of coffee at any time of day. Gardening, deer hunting, and spoiling his children and grandchildren with candy and sweet treats were his passions in life. Most of all, he was a very loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Harold is survived by his children, Beverly (Gary Mayher) Talbot, Bruce (Cindy) Bennett, Teresa (Rodney Schneider) Usher, Micky (Kim) Allen, and Jennifer (Lucky) Beeman, along with 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren—all of whom he loved dearly. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his son, Dennis Bennett, and siblings, Buddy Bennett, Laura Southerland, and Donald Bennett.

In accordance with his wishes, a private family gathering and burial are planned. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

Russell "John" Wagner

Russell "John" Wagner, 72, passed away peacefully at home in Gregory, MI on January 15, 2021, after struggling with cancer for three years. He was the son of Bernice (Kline) and Russell Wagner of Ypsilanti, MI.

John is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sue; children, Noel (Paula), Jocilyn, and Sam; and brother-in-law, Gary Schoolmaster. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Judy Schoolmaster.

John graduated from Willow Run High School, class of '67. He enjoyed working on their 50-year class reunion and staying in touch with classmates. His favorite pastimes included family get-togethers, traveling, talking on CB radios, photography, space exploration, and all things Star Trek. He was raised on motorcycles and passed his love of riding and restoring them on to his two sons. As a music lover, John enjoyed a wide variety, from Roy Orbison and old country western to Big Band. When his children were young, he volunteered for many years as a Scout leader. Early in his career, John made deliveries for Mayer-Schairer Office Supplies of Ann Arbor and committed to memory thousands of Michigan’s main and back roads. John was a kind, gentle, and patient man who drove everything from a school bus for disabled children to gargantuan snow-melters on the University of Michigan campus. He became a proficient snowplow operator and retired from the U of M after 25 years of “unburying” student dorms. In retirement, he bought a personal snowplow and several trucks to help friends, neighbors, and family.

A memorial will be held in early Spring, 2021. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Plainfield United Methodist Church, 17845 M-36 Highway, Gregory, MI 48137. Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.