Deaths & Obits
Surnames V
|
Deaths & Obits Surnames V |
|
|
Traverse City Record-Eagle January 27, 2005 WILEY JOHN VANDERLINDE, son of Justin and Jamie (Grant) Vanderlinde of Lake Ann, was stillborn Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005, at Munson Medical Center. Arrangements are being handled by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle February 2, 2005 ALDEN - Roy Martin Vanover Jr., 55, of Alden, died Early Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005, at home. Born June 18, 1949, in Johnson City, Tenn., he was the son of Roy and Evelyn (Highsinger) Martin Sr. Roy was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He is lovingly survived by his wife, Margaret; son, Robert; parents; brother, Frank; and uncles and aunts, Frank and Orella Taylor, Jess and Aletha Davis, and Jack Hobson. In loving memory we salute Ray as a true patriot, army ranger, son, brother, husband, father, uncle, friend, musician and true lover of nature. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005, from 2 to 5 p.m., at 10715 McPherson Road in Alden. Arrangements are by the Bellaire Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle February 5, 2005 REV. PAUL J. VEENSTRA, 79, of Atwood, died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005, at Bay Bluffs Medical Care Facility in Harbor Springs. Visitation will be at Hastings Funeral Home in Ellsworth on Sunday, Feb. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral service will be held Monday, Feb. 7, 2005, at 1 p.m., at the Atwood Christian Reformed Church. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle January 26, 2005 EVELYNE E. VINCENT, 88, of Traverse City, passed away Monday, Jan. 24, 2005, at Munson Medical Center. There will be no services at this time. Cremation will take place at Oak Grove Cemetery in Manistee. The family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Oak Grove Cremation Center. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle January 23, 2005 LEONARD A. VISCI, 81, of Milton Township, died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005, at Meadowbrook Nursing Home in Bellaire. Arrangements are pending and a full obituary will appear in a later edition of the Record-Eagle. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Covell Funeral Home of Elk Rapids. Traverse City Record-Eagle January 24, 2005 Leonard A. Visci Died January 22, 2005 ELK LAKE - Leonard A. Visci, a lifelong coach, teacher and public schools administrator whose passions included golf and sunsets over Elk Lake, died on Jan. 22, 2005. He was 81, and had been battling Alzheimer's Disease. After his first visit to Torch Lake in 1960, Visci and his family had returned regularly for summer vacations. He eventually bought property and built a cottage on Elk Lake in 1967, where he and his wife Alice had been permanent residents since 1989. Visci was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Army as a Staff Sergeant assigned to help rehabilitate soldiers who had lost limbs during battle. Following the war, he completed his degree at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He began his coaching and teaching career in the Delaware, Ohio, public schools in 1947. There he coached football, basketball and baseball, and taught science and history. He also worked a job as a tow-truck operator to make ends meet for his young family. In the mid-1950s, Visci completed his master's degree at Ohio State University. A gifted athlete himself, Visci focused his teams on the fundamentals. As a result, the Delaware teams won numerous championships. Although he rarely spoke of it, throughout his career Visci helped break down racial barriers, starting black athletes on his teams when it was seldom done, and later, as a school superintendent, promoting women and minorities. In 1960, Visci returned to East Cleveland, Ohio, to become assistant principal of Shaw High School, his alma mater. For the next 17 years, he held various administrative posts, including seven years as superintendent of the East Cleveland Public Schools. In 1977, he accepted a post with General Electric and helped develop training programs for GE in conjunction with the Cleveland area's public schools. In 1980, he became an assistant professor of education at Ohio's Hiram College, working with student teachers. While sunsets over Elk Lake never failed to enchant Visci, for many years he enjoyed daily sunrises while on the first tee at the Elk Rapids Golf Course. He and several pals would be the first to tee off every morning, walking their nine holes in a speedy 1:40. Even into his 70s, Visci continued to outplay his sons, although his wife occasionally finished with the better score. In addition to Alice, his wife of 59 years, Visci is survived by a brother, Donald; three sons, Patrick of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Joseph "Chip" of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Donald of Royal Oak; a daughter, Lauren Burnett of Broadview Heights, Ohio; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mass from the Order of Christian Funerals will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elk Rapids, with Rev. Robert Zuchowski as celebrant. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Visci Family Scholarship Fund (#411379), c/o Ohio State University, 2400 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, OH 43210. The fund was established two years ago to award scholarships to students who intend to pursue teaching careers. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Elk Rapids Chapel of Covell Funeral Homes. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle February 21, 2005 DAVID V. VISKOCHIL, 60, of Traverse City, died Friday, Feb. 18, 2005, in Traverse City. A memorial service is being planned and will be announced by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, Traverse City. Traverse City Record-Eagle March 2, 2005 TRAVERSE CITY - David Viskochil, 60, of Traverse City, Little Traverse Lake and Omena, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, Feb. 18, 2005. He was born on April 14, 1944, to Adolph and Clara (Charter) Viskochil. After graduating from St. Francis High School in 1962, he attended Northwestern Michigan College from 1962 to 1964. He then attended the University of Michigan, where he received a bachelor's in art history in 1966. In 1967, he married Sally Longcore. They served together in the Peace Corps in Thailand from 1967 to 1970. In 1972, they founded Tamarack Gallery, now located in Omena, to sell fine art and folk art produced by the region's finest artists and craftsmen. To encourage creativity in others, David became a founder of Chamber Arts North and started EXPOSURES, an arts and letters magazine for students in Leelanau County. He was also a docent at the Dennos Museum Foundation. David was a member of the Leelanau County Planning Commission, and served for 16 years, from 1981 to 1997, on the Northport School Board. He was a board member or the Leelanau Women's Foundation , the Omena Historical Society, and was a sustaining member of the Leelanau Conservancy. As a life-long community activist and patriot, he was proud to be a member of the Leelanau County Democratic Party. He established and sponsored the Genuine Leelanau Award and was named Alumnus of the Year, along with Sally, by Northwestern Michigan College in 1990. David is survived by Sally, his wife of 38 years; daughter, Sarah Olivia, and her finance, Matt Lichtel of Williamsburg, Va.; brother, Larry of Chicago; sister, Karen of Minneapolis; and his two border collies, Jefferson and Jackson. He is also survived by in-laws, Jim and Mim Longcore, Marilyn and Bob Schneider, Gary and Ellen Longcore, Lorraine and Richard Hominga, Robert and Diane Longcore, and Barbara and Jay Grosmark; 16 nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his first dog, Aggie; his second dog, Bean; and his beloved border collie, Eugene. A memorial service will be held Friday, March 11, at 7 p.m., at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City. Memorial donations may be directed to the Cherryland Humane Society, The Omena Historical Society, The Leelanau Conservancy, The Leelanau Historical Society and The Leelanau County Democratic Party. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz Traverse City Record-Eagle February 8, 2005 Robert B. Vokac Died February 6, 2005 DEARBORN - Robert B. Vokac, 78, died Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005. He was the beloved husband of 50 years to Judy; dear father of Robert Harold, Elizabeth Ann Vokac (John Blanchard) and Susan Pamela (Jack) Bennett; and the grandfather of Jackson and Grant Bennett. Robert was a life member of BPOE 1914 Dearborn, VFW 7546 Dearborn Heights, American Legion Post 217 Wyandotte, University of Michigan Alumni Association, Reserve Officers Association (State President 1974); he was a World War II veteran, 31st Infantry Regimental Association, 7th Infantry Division Association, Officer Candidate School and Essex & Kent Scottish Regiment Association. Robert was the Midwest College Placement Association President in 1971. He was a former member of the Dearborn Rotary, former chair of the Dearborn YMCA, and former chair of the Inkster Civil Service Commission. Memorial Visitation will take place Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 2 to 8 p.m. at the John N. Santeiu and Son Funeral Home, 1139 Inkster Rd. (between Ford Rd. and Cherry Hill), Garden City. Memorial Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 N. Military (corner of Cherry Hill), Dearborn. Memorials may be directed to Christ Episcopal Church, Arbor Hospice Residence or Yankee Air Museum. Contributed by Sharon Compton Baatz |