Obituaries
Ucian "Tony" Garbacik
June 8, 2026
Ucian A. “Tony” Garbacik, 94, of Kalamazoo, passed away Monday, June 8, 2026 at Kairos Dwelling in Kalamazoo. He was born December 8, 1931 in Detroit, the son of Andrew and Zofia (Ozel) Garbacik. In 1952, Tony enlisted in the US Army, honorably serving until 1954. He later moved to Kalamazoo where he was united in marriage to the former...
Alice A. Hallam
June 3, 2026
Alice A. Hallam, 82, of Kalamazoo, passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at Kairos Dwelling in Kalamazoo. She was born July 26, 1943 in Farmington Hills, Michigan. At the age of 2 years old, she and her mother moved to Villa Saint Anthony in Comstock where Alice interacted with and learned from a number of priests and nuns of the...
Robert William Reilly
May 23, 2026
Robert "Bob" William Reilly, born December 5, 1955, passed away on May 23, 2026, leaving behind a family who loved him deeply and countless memories that will live on through those who knew him best.Bob was a devoted husband to Holly, a proud father to Brandon Reilly (Bryana) and Shea Reilly, and a loving grandfather to Alaina Reilly and Brinley...
Deborah Sue Douglas
May 23, 2026
Deborah Sue Douglas, 71, of Portage, passed away Saturday, May 23, 2026, at her home.
She was born April 14, 1955, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of the late Willie E. Middlebrooks and Birtha (Cunningham) Middlebrooks.
Deborah was an avid NASCAR fan and enjoyed bowling. She was previously employed with Western Michigan University. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family.
She is...
Sally A. Burnett
May 17, 2026
Sally A. Burnett, 78, of Kalamazoo, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2026 at Brookdale of Portage. She was born February 14, 1948 in Kalamazoo, the daughter of Victor and Mildred (Miller) Chopp. Sally was a 1966 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School. She was an art aficionado and dedicated many volunteer hours to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Sally was...
Arun Dave
May 16, 2026
Arun Jaydev Dave
Passed away peacefully at home on May 16, 2026 at the age of 94. She was born on October 10, 1931, the youngest child of Kantilal and Satyavati Avashia. She spent her early years in Nagpur, where a foundation of curiosity, discipline, and compassion was formed.
Arun pursued higher education at Nagpur University, earning a degree in Home Science....
Gary A. Chopp
May 13, 2026
Gary A. Chopp, 65, of Galesburg, passed away peacefully Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at his home. He was born October 10, 1960 in Paw Paw, the son of Andrew and Janet (Giddings) Chopp. He was a 1979 graduate of Parchment High School. Gary worked as a supervisor at Classic Gutter Systems, retiring in 2020. He enjoyed being outdoors, taking care...
Justin P. Wilson
May 6, 2026
Justin Paul Wilson, 40 years old, of Kalamazoo, MI passed away unexpectedly at home on May 6, 2026.
Justin was born on February 27, 1986 in Kalamazoo, MI to Emily and David Wilson. Growing up, Justin had a deep passion for skateboarding. Justin loved spending time with his brother Michael and all of his cousins, aunts and uncles. He especially enjoyed...
Diane Gibbs
April 28, 2026
Carol ‘Diane’ Gibbs passed away peacefully at her home in Kalamazoo, Michigan on April 28, 2026, surrounded by her loving family, to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ.
Born in Kokomo, Indiana on the 23rd of June 1933 to Olive Henry, Diane was a sweet, kind and talented child. She began taking piano lessons when she was six years old and...
Edward J. Siwik
April 28, 2026
Edward Jacob (“Ed”) Siwik passed away Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the age of 86, in his hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was born on March 23, 1940.
Ed is preceded in death by beloved wife of 37 years, Joan E. (“Joani”) Siwik; his parents, John and Frieda Siwik; and his two brothers John Jr. and Robert (m. Sharon). He...
Greta A. Jervis
April 25, 2026
Greta Alberta (Merchant) Jervis, 97, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 25, 2026. Before the dawn of the Great Depression, Greta was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on April 4, 1929, one of six children born to Albert E. and Delberta M. (Hurley) Merchant. As a child of that era of hardship, Greta learned to be frugal, resourceful,...
Benny Louis Aukerman
April 22, 2026
Benny Aukerman, 68, of Kalamazoo, passed away on April 22, 2026. He was born on November 19, 1957, in Kalamazoo, the beloved son of the late Willard and Barbara (Heighton) Aukerman.
Benny’s heart remained full with love for his surviving family. He is dearly missed by his devoted wife, Karen (Warren) Aukerman, who stood by his side through life’s many adventures.
A...
Glenda Sue Story
April 19, 2026
Glenda Sue Story, 71, of Parchment, passed away Sunday, April 19, 2026, at her home.
She was born June 28, 1954, in West Plains, Missouri, the daughter of Glen E. Story and Lena B. (Fox) Story.
Glenda will be remembered for her love and passion for Christmas. Holiday decorating was the most important detail. She also loved bunnies. She enjoyed watching soap...
Jerry G. Steger
April 16, 2026
Jerry G. Steger, age 81, of Oshkosh, WI, passed away on April 16, 2026.
Born on Sunday, March 18, 1945 in Kalamazoo, MI he was the beloved son of George and Josephine Steger. He lived a life grounded in faith, purpose and quiet strength. A devout Catholic, Jerry found great comfort in prayer and the rosary, carrying his faith with him...
Mahlon L. Lantz
April 15, 2026
Mahlon “Mel” Lantz, age 95, passed away peacefully on April 15, surrounded by his loving family.
Mel proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a radarman aboard a destroyer escort. Following his military service, he pursued his passion for the natural world, earning a Bachelor of Science in Fishery Biology from Utah State University. He went on to...
Alberta Pauline Schwab
April 7, 2026
Alberta Pauline Schwab, 77, of Kalamazoo, passed away Tuesday April 7, 2026, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.
She was born May 10, 1948, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the daughter of Lloyd Ritter and Clara (Miller) Ritter.
Alberta was an avid reader and enjoyed indulging in a good book. She was also a huge Chuck Norris fan and could often be found watching...
Clayton L. Flagg
April 3, 2026
Clayton L. Flagg, 59, of Kalamazoo, passed away Friday, April 3, 2026 at his home. He was born February 11, 1967 in Sturgis, the son of Donald and Janet (Hamilton) Flagg. On July 11, 1992 in Quincy, Clayton was united in marriage to Angela Kirt. Clayton worked in the automotive industry first as a mechanic for many years at various...
Annette M. Telesko
March 30, 2026
Annette M. Telesko, 64, of Plainwell, passed away at her home on Monday, March 30, 2026. She was born August 7, 1961 in Grand Rapids, the daughter of Salvatore and Mary Ann Pirozzo. Annette was a dedicated wife and mother and played an active role in the lives of her children and grandchildren. In addition to caring for her husband...
Jon F. Sackett
March 3, 2026
Jon F. Sackett, 73, of Kalamazoo passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at his home. He was born September 7, 1952 in Kalamazoo, the son of Franklin and Wanda (Rekel) Sackett. Jon enjoyed biking and golfing and enjoyed spending time in nature. He also was an avid collector of remote control model airplanes. He was also employed by Pemco until...
Steven Carlton Colter Hilmert
February 28, 2026
Steven Carlton Colter Hilmert, age 27, of Lawton, Michigan, passed away on February 28, 2026. He was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Steven worked in construction and enjoyed many aspects of the trade, particularly exterior work such as roofing and siding. He was naturally mechanical and loved working with his hands, often repairing vehicles, fixing equipment, and restoring things he had purchased....