Crusader Nation Remembers Dave Jackson

Students, alumni and others took to Twitter to share their memories of Dave Jackson, the former principal at L'Anse Creuse North who died on Sunday.

When news broke that former L'Anse Creuse North principal Dave Jackson had died on Sunday, many people took to social media, particularly Twitter, to share their memories of the man. Many people used the Twitter hashtag #crusadernation to remember Jackson. Patch created a Storify to collect some of those online rememberances.

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Atwood Elementary Mourns Beloved First-Grade Teacher

Visitation for Bethany Ann Francis will be held from 2-9 p.m. Sunday at at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons in Shelby Township, with the funeral Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church in Warren.

Much loved first-grade Atwood Elementary teacher, Bethany Ann Francis, passed away Dec. 1 after suffering health complications. Francis was the wife of Daniel and mother of Natalie Danielle, who also passed away Dec. 1. Francis was 33. Atwood Elementary will be open Monday, Dec. 5, but alternative activities will be scheduled for the school day to allow staff and students to attend the funeral. Social workers will remain at the school to support students and staff as long as they are needed, according to L'Anse Creuse administration. Visitation is Sunday from 2-9 p.m. at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, 54880 Van Dyke Ave. in Shelby Township.  The funeral is Monday at St. Anne Catholic Church, 32000 Mound Road in Warren. Francis will lie instate …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Jenny Whalen

9:36 am on Sunday, December 4, 2011

How will you remember Bethany Francis?   more ›

Macombers Reaction to Steve Jobs' Death Demonstrates Apple's Impact

Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, died Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy that changed the way people communicate and broke down workplace barriers.

The news of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on Wednesday sent shock waves across the Internet during the evening, as millions of people reflected on the impact that he and his products had on everyday consumers. "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an email sent Wednesday evening to all Apple employees, including those at The Mall at Partridge Creek Apple Store.  Locally, on Twitter and Facebook, people shared their favorite Apple products and reflected on how different their lives would be without the products Jobs' vision helped create. On Macomb Patch's Facebook page, James Coller wrote: "It's a sad day for Apple fans. Hopefully jobs passed …

• Photos (1)

UPDATE: Chippewa Valley High Mourns Loss of Beloved Journalism Teacher

Longtime Chippewa Valley High School teacher, John Spreitzer, passed away suddenly Sept. 20. The visitation and funeral will be held Friday and Saturday, respectively, at A. J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors in Troy.

Visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 23, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m., at A. J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, 2600 Crooks Road, Troy, MI. A service will follow on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 12:30 p.m. at the same location. Longtime Chippewa Valley High School journalism teacher John Spreitzer, 58, died suddenly Tuesday. Spreitzer, who was hired into Chippewa Valley in 2004, was much loved by his students and respected by his co-workers. It was his love for the written word that inspired many of his students to actually pursue careers in writing. Kelsey Ann McCormick was one of them. "I had Mr. Spreitzer during my senior year," McCormick said. "Up until that point I knew that I was good at writing but had no idea where that could take you in life. In…

•  10 Comments
• Photos (1)

Macomb Remembers Local Legend Joa 'Mr. Potato' Penzien

One of Macomb Township's oldest living residents and a local legend in his own right, Joa Penzien, 97, passed away Monday. Visitation will be Wednesday at Hauss Funeral Home, with the funeral service on Thursday at St. Peter Lutheran Church.

Lifelong Macomb Township resident and local legend Joachim William Penzien died Monday at the age of 97. Those who did not know Joa personally will no doubt recognize the Penzien name, which has given itself to subdivisions, street names, golf courses and a one-time booming potato farm in the township. “He’s been a mainstay in this town for a very long time,” said Roger Krzeminski, family friend and township trustee. “He was quite a guy. Being almost 100 years old, just think of what he has seen.” Born on March 21, 1914, Penzien entered the world before Babe Ruth played in his first major league game and World War I began. Penzien would earn his nickname, “Mr. Potato,” from his expert knowledge gained through work on his family's farm. At …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Restaurant World Mourns Death of Famed Italian Chef Aldo Ottaviani

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. today at Bagnasco & Calcaterra Funeral Home, 13650 E. 15 Mile in Sterling Heights. Visitation is prior to the service at 9 a.m.

When Angels Wear Jerseys: Remembering Kyle Nicholson

Friends and family join together on Facebook to share their memories and love for the 19-year-old athlete who passed away from Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia on July 7.

After months of battling leukemia, 19-year-old Shelby Township resident and beloved friend, Kyle Nicholson, passed away July 7. Friends and family of Kyle had the chance to say their final goodbyes before his passing at the University of Michigan Mott’s Children’s Hospital. For those who were unable to say goodbye to Kyle in person, Facebook is providing them a forum to express their love for one of the strongest people in their lives.  Countless friends are sharing their favorite memories or gratitude for even having had the chance to meet Kyle on the social media site, and the hundreds of messages surely show just how many lives he blessed. Although we know he cannot “like” or comment back to what we’re saying, it is providing a sense of…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (3)

Assisted Suicide Advocate Jack Kevorkian of Royal Oak Dies at 83

Longtime resident was a lightning rod for controversy and a familiar face around town.

Assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian of Royal Oak died at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak this morning after being hospitalized with kidney, liver and respiratory problems off and on for several weeks. He was 83. Kevorkian first made headlines for his right-to-die stand in 1990 when he assisted in the death of Janet Adkins, who had Alzheimer’s disease. The former pathologist admitted to assisting in an estimated 130 deaths from 1990-98. More recently, he served eight years of a 10- to 25-year sentence in the 1998 death of Thomas Youk, who suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease. He was released from prison in 2007 and returned to live in an apartment in Royal Oak, where he was frequently seen at his favorite restaurants and shops. …

•  84 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

ecnalubma

5:15 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

Rants go on and on here. Dr. Death was the wrong guy to follow as the Poster Child for this cause. People want dignity when their life ends, only to find the insurance company standing by the plug ready to pull it. I have seen many times, as recently as this past December, the insurance company wanting to withhold care and having the families told that they need to make sure things are in place …   more ›

Photo Gallery: 'Field of Honor' Pays Tribute to Michigan's Fallen Troops

The flags and biography tags are on display this weekend at Guardian Angel Cemetery in Oakland Township.

Just inside the iron gates of Guardian Angel Cemetery on Rochester Road in Oakland Township, 245 American flags arranged meticulously in six rows flap in the breeze. Each of the flags represents a Michigan serviceman or woman who died as a result of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and each flagpole bears that man or woman's name, photograph, hometown and a short biography. “We’ve done the flags for the past couple years, and the idea to add the tags with the bios on it was a collective idea," said Guardian Angel Cemetery Director Wendy Mann. “We’ve been working on it for the past couple months. It’s definitely a project.” Mann said the Field of Honor was erected Tuesday near the silo, but heavy rain flooded the area and forced …

•  14 Comments
• Photos (258)