len Marie Betrus Smith, 96 years young, of Monroe, Michigan, passed away on Saturday, March 5, 2022 after a short illness. Marie was born on March 1, 1926 to Fred and Sadie (Hatem) Betrus who immigrated from Zahle, Lebanon. The family owned and operated Betrus Market on the corner of Monroe and Lorain streets. They were part of a small group of Lebanese immigrants who settled in the city of Monroe in the early 1900’s and opened various retail and wholesale businesses. Marie was a proud 1943 graduate of St. Mary Academy and attended Alumni Day regularly over the years, keeping in touch with many of her classmates and IHM nuns. Following high school, she went to work as an Executive Assistant at Monroe Auto Equipment. She also worked at the family business, which is where she met William D. Smith after seeing him in a Monroe High School play. She waited for him to return from his service in the Coast Guard during WW II and on December 27, 1947 she and Bill were married in St. Mary Catholic Church in Monroe.
38th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Michael A. Weipert, of one of the longtime families in Monroe County’s legal community, died Thursday at his home, under hospice care, with his family and his friends at his side. The second youngest of 8 siblings born to Victor H. & Aurelia M. (Steiner) Weipert in Monroe, Michael (Mike) Allen passed away on March 3, 2022 at the age of 65 after a courageous battle with liver cancer. He was a very private individual and had not let many people know about his condition because he was determined to beat it. .
John Nicholas “Nick” Hoffman, passed away Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Medilodge of Monroe, with his sons at his side. Born May 12, 1939 in Monroe, Nick was the son of the late Leo and Gertrude (Lauer) Hoffman. He graduated from Monroe Catholic Central High School in 1958. During the Vietnam War, Nick served as a Medic from March 18, 1963 until being honorably discharged on March 9, 1965. On October 6, 1978, he married Sharon M. Wood at St. Mary Catholic Church. Together they raised two sons. Sadly, she preceded Nick in death on May 26, 1995.
Bonnie Bica, passed away Saturday March 5, 2022 in her home surrounded by her family. Born July 27, 1941 Bonnie was the daughter of Thomas and Mildred (Corell) McDowell. A graduate of Mackenzie High School she continued her education at Eastern Michigan University where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree. Bonnie married the love of her life, James Bica, on August 1, 1964 at Epiphany Catholic Church in Detroit.
Thomas Robert Opperman, beloved husband of Lorie Opperman, and uncle to Anthony Rais, Scott Opperman, Teresa (Doug) Black and Ryan (Sara) Steckmeyer, will be remembered as a happy and caring man. He was very involved in the lives of his nieces and nephews, and a source of encouragement to them as he shared his educational interests with them.
Family and friends of Richard (Rick) Alan Montcalm gathered to give thanks and praise to God for his life, love and loyal commitment to serving all those who sought his help and guidance. Rick served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Nuremburg, Germany following his graduation from Michigan State University.
Friends and Family of Jeanne Marie Poupard gathered to remember and give thanks for the blessing of their sibling, aunt, friend. Jeanne was the fourth oldest of the twelve children born to Eugene and Alice (d.). Her siblings recall that the family united around Jeanne, who was differently abled. Jeanne enjoyed “Saturday Morning Faith Sharing” every week in our parish Heritage Hall. It was there, as well amid her family, that her faith was nurtured, and she fell in love with Jesus as she came to know the many bible stories of His life. Without a doubt her favorite song, which she repeatedly sang, was: “Jesus Loves Me”, which was a prelude at her funeral Mass.
A graduate of St. Mary Grade School and the first graduating class of Monroe Catholic Central, Edward Francis Heil said that “life is a celebration of love”. A veteran of the Marine Corps, Ed was described by his family as “a character” who was a storyteller who also enjoyed singing. Passionate about being on the water, he was an active member of the Monroe Boat Club and enjoyed power boats, skiing, sailing, and fishing.
Frank John Kolakowski enjoyed being busy! Hard work was not foreign to him. Following his father’s death when he was a young boy, Frank and his siblings worked the family farm to secure food for his mother and siblings. As an adult, Frank continued to enjoy gardening and delighted in sharing his produce with neighbors and friends. His family described him as kind and generous.
Arnold “Arnie” Joseph Discher served his family, community, and God in many ways. As the father of Jennifer (Louis); Skip (Laura) and Andrew (Stephanie), Arnie led by example. One of his favorite roles was that of a Boy Scout Leader, serving as a Scoutmaster, member of the Order of the Arrow and most recently working to prepare young men for the Eagle Scout distinction which both of his sons achieved. Arnie, along with Carol, his wife of more than 54 years, were role models for their children and grandchildren (Joseph and Audrey) as they generously and consistently extended a helping hand to others in need of food, transportation, shelter, counsel, humor. Their presence and active participation in school and sports events was a priority and created lasting memories for all.
A wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, an educator, a friend are some words that describe Maria Catherine (Cathie) Harrington. A life-long resident of Monroe and graduate of St. Mary Academy, Cathie initially shared her God-given talents with others as an educator, teaching at St. Mary Elementary School for seven years. In more recent years she worked as an event planner at her family’s restaurant, the Sand Bar Grillle.
Anita Lou Ellerbrock, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother had great trust in God’s mercy and love. Her confidence in God can be summed up in a phrase she often quoted: “Things will work out, they always do.” Anita was often seen wearing stylish hats. To honor her at her funeral, several family members wore her hats; a gesture that Anita would have appreciated!! Her love of hats led her to become a member of the Red Hat Society!
Multiple generations of the Kennedy Family gathered on Monday, November 29 to praise and thank God for the gift of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Rose Mary Kennedy. The mother of: Sharon (Daniel) Cousineau; Karen Kennedy (Joe Whinery); Patricia (Kenneth) Cousino, Timothy, Joseph (Wendy) ; Kevin (Kathleen Pitton), Robert (Cindy), Marie Kennedy (Jeff Gutschow) and Michael (d.) and Theresa (d). Rose Mary is also survived by 36 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
Nina Margaret Kirkadly, served in the United States Army as a Captain; this experience fine-tuned her attention to detail, her self confidence and strong leadership ability. She enjoyed travelling especially to Indian River and throughout the Upper Peninsula, grateful for the outdoors. Throughout her life she valued time spent fly fishing. She was creatively gifted, expressing herself through her painting and drawing. Following completion of studies, she graduated from Marygrove College and eventually taught music at Cantrick Middle School in Monroe.
A motto that Richard Charles Drouillard embraced in life was “Pay it Forward.” Blessed with many gifts, Dick never hesitated to help another person or community in need. His life was in service to others; helping his family, those with whom he worked and the community in which he lived. Dick worked as a nuclear supervisor at Fermi I and II. Additionally, he was a member of the Fire Department, an EMT and a mechanic while serving in the US Army. Active in the lives of his children, Dick was an assistant leader for the Boy Scout troop that of his oldest son, Vincent, was involved with. With his youngest son, Ricky, who valued his father’s opinion, he enjoyed the hobby of collecting knives and guns.
The life and witness of Dr. John Walter Kuras was celebrated when his family and friends gathered recently for the Mass of the Resurrection. John was an optimistic person and had chosen the title “Anything’s Possible” for a book that he had hoped to write and would have described his life. As a result of the injuries he suffered in an accident as a toddler, John walked with a noticeable limp for his entire life. While he could not excel in sports, Dr. Kuras stood out academically and professionally.
The descriptors of wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt define some of the roles that describe Joyce Ann Eby. In these roles and the many other ways that she was involved in serving others, she sought and found the good in each person. Her children described her as a gentle soul, who had a deep well of patience and extended kindness to others.
With thankful hearts, the family and friends of Joanne Katherine Cooper gathered for a Scripture service in Rupp Funeral Home to give thanks and praise to God for the gift of her life. Joanne had an “ever-ready” smile, and an optimistic and creative nature. She was a faithful helper in many ways in the life of the parish; caring for the hungry through the God Works! Dinners hosted on Friday evening in the Parish Life Center. She also enjoyed working as part of the ProMedica Regional Hospital Guild, clocking more than 20,000 hours of service.
The life and witness of Ronald Edward Bentley was celebrated when his family and friends gathered recently for the Mass of the Resurrection. As a person who found great joy in singing, Ron shared this gift for twenty-one years through his involvement in our parish Resurrection Choir. Devotion to his Catholic faith also led him to be a part of the Knights of Columbus Post 1266. Ron enjoyed time spent on the water sailing his sailboat. The hours of being on the lake were a time of reflection, peace and rest for him. In addition to sailing, Ron enjoyed encountering nature through fishing, hunting or canoeing.
Margaret Ann Straub, was a devoted wife to her husband Carl for almost 65 years, loving mother of eleven children Lynette, Cindy, Marvin, Marie, Melvin, Mark, Joe, Cliff, Debra (d.), Matthew (d.) and Michael (d), grandmother to 22 children and great-grandmother to 21 children. Caring for her large family was a joy and an honor for Margaret! A homemaker, Margaret was very patient in her authority with her children. She loved to dance, especially to classic country music and often engaged her children in dancing in their home.