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Robert McKee
Former Grosse Pointe Shores resident Robert McKee, 79, beloved husband of Betty McKee, died at his home in Borrego Springs, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001.
Mr. McKee was born in Chicago on Feb. 10, 1922, to Max and Florence McKee of Grosse Pointe Farms. He graduated from Detroit University School and Williams College. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Williams and commencing with his sophomore year, was the No. 1 player on the golf team.
During World War II, Mr. McKee served in the United States Army Supply Corps in the China-India-Burma theater. He retained a lifelong interest in the political affairs of those countries and others.
Until his retirement in 1999, Mr. McKee was an officer in Sand Products Corporation, a Detroit company founded by his father. It is devoted to the mining and sale of sand for industrial use. The company also held interests in freighters that shipped sand and ore on the Great Lakes.
Mr. McKee enjoyed memberships in the Country Club of Detroit and de Anza Country Club in Borrego Springs, Calif. He was also a member of St. Barnabas Church in Borrego Springs.
He is also survived by a son, Robert M. McKee; a daughter Meg McKee Rosenblum; step-children Victor Stumpf, Gregory Stumpf and Beatrice Miller; five grandchildren, David, Amy and Michael Rosenblum and Stephen and Sarah McKee and a sister Patricia Munson of La Jolla, Calif. He was predeceased by his brothers Bradshaw McKee and Brent McKee.
A private family memorial service was held on Saturday, Oct. 27, at St. Barnabas Church in Borrego Springs. A memorial service will be held in the spring in Borrego Springs.
Memorial contributions may be made to San Diego Hospice, 4311 Third Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.
Alice Heaney Wright
Alice Heaney Wright, 87, died in her Grosse Pointe Farms home of natural causes on Friday, Oct. 26, 2001.
Mrs. Wright was born into a family of seven children in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sept. 9, 1914. She grew up in Port Huron and graduated from St. Stephens High School in Port Huron and Port Huron Junior College.
Mrs. Wright honed her skill for budgeting and working with numbers while employed in the finance department of Press Metals Corp. in Port Huron.
At St. Stephens Grade School, Mrs. Wright met her husband of nearly 60 years,the late Joseph Patrick Wright. They were married
in 1939, moved to Detroit and eventually settled in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Active in civic, charitable and volunteer work, Mrs. Wright served on the board of the St. Paul Catholic Parish Altar Society from 1954 to 1975 and was the treasurer of the Detroit League of Catholic Women from 1961 to 1975. In 1970, she helped to found the Fair-Mack League, an assistance program which offered food and clothing to low income families at St. Bernard Parish on Detroit's east side. She also worked with the Kundig Center, an inner city out-reach organization for senior citizens, Pregnancy Aid and The Santa Maria Home for disadvantaged young women.
"Mom constantly stressed to all of us that it was important to give back to our communities," said her daughter Kathleen Conway. "She not only said so, she also showed us how."
Mrs. Wright also enjoyed bowling and was a member of the Detroit Boat Club.
A housewife and mother, Mrs. Wright was beloved for her strong sense of family. She also doted on her 10 grandchildren.
"Just recently, I discovered a little treasure chest she had hidden at home with detailed files on each grandchild," said Mrs. Conway. "They contained birth announcements, school play programs, athletic and scholastic achievement awards, pictures, college graduation notices and all the letters she received from each one. It was a very touching discovery. They will make a wonderful remembrance."
Mrs. Wright is also survived by her sons, J. Patrick Wright and Daniel J. Wright; daughters Maureen A. Wright and Eileen (Ronald) Dimick and sisters Eileen McMonagle and Agnes Addison.
Arrangements were handled by the Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park. A memorial service was held on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms. She was cremated and interred in the St. Paul Columbarium.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Nativity Catholic Church, 5900 McClellan, Detroit, MI 48213.
Violet M. DiLaura
Violet M. DiLaura, 84, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 at William Beaumont Hospital in Troy.
Born in 1918 in Bellaire, Ohio, Mrs. DiLaura was a 1936 graduate of Eastern High School.
She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family.
She is survived by her sons, Richard (Marilyn) and Kenneth (Veronica); her grandchildren, Greg, Cindy, Brian and Christina DiLaura and Lori Church; her great-grandchildren, Kyle and Brendon Church; and her brother, Armand Qualtieri.
She was predeceased by her husband, Tony DiLaura.
A funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, Nov. 18 at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in St. Clair Shores.
Interment is at Resurrection cemetery.
Arrangements were made by A.H. Peters Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Memorial contributions may be made to Troy Beaumont Hospice c/o Beaumont Foundation, 100 E. Big Beaver, Suite 800, Troy, MI 48083 or to Karmanos Cancer Institute, 15111 13 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093.
William Kessler
Grosse Pointe Park resident William Kessler, 77, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002.
Mr. Kessler served in the U.S. Army Air Force from 1943 to 1946.
He received his bachelor's degree in architecture from the School of Design in Chicago.
After receiving his master's degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1950, Mr. Kessler was appointed an instructor in design for the school.
He later moved to Grosse Pointe with his family, where he worked as chief designer for Leinweber, Yamasaki and Hellmuth, Architects in Detroit.
He established the architectural firms of Meathe, Kessler and Associates in 1955, William Kessler and Associates in 1968 and, in 1999, Kessler Francis Cardoza Architects.
Mr. Kessler has served on many design award juries, including two sessions at the Stuttgart Design Center in Germany. He also served twice as a member of the AIA Followship jury.
He served as vice president of the Grosse Pointe Human Relations Council and was instrumental in bringing Whitney Young and Martin Luther King Jr. to speak at Grosse Pointe South High School.
He was a member of the Planning Commission and City Council of Grosse Pointe Park.
As a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Kessler received numerous awards including the Gold Medal in 1974 and 1976, the Hastings Award in 1984 and the Charles A. Blessing Award in 1996.
Mr. Kessler was an active sailor, tennis player, painter and sports car enthusiast.
He is survived by his wife, Margot; his two daughters, Tamara (William ) Checkley and Chevonne (Michael) Patten; and three grandchildren, Aaron, Alexander and Ariel Wagner.
Arrangements were made by Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to Michigan Architectural Foundation, 553 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48226 or Congress of International Modern Architects, 12 Gramercy Park, New York, NY 10003 or Hospice of Michigan, 400 Mack Ave., Detroit, MI 48201.
Donald C. Winans
Longtime Grosse Pointe Farms resident Dr. Donald C. Winans, 99, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002 at the Henry Ford-Belmont Nursing Home.
Born in Waldron, Dr. Winans graduated from the University of Michigan with a D.D.S. degree. He was active in alumni affairs and served as a guest lecturer at the university's School of Dentistry.
Dr. Winans was an accomplished violinist and while he was attending U-M, he organized a jazz band which played at fraternity parties and other social functions.
His interest in music continued and he played in a band which provided the music for productions of the Players Club.
Dr. Winans moved his practice to Jennings Hospital in the 1930s and subsequently became head of its Department of Dentistry.
He was a member of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the Michigan Dental Association.
Although he was too old for active duty during World War II, Dr. Winans served as a medical volunteer and assisted in screening recruits and draftees in the Detroit area.
He was an avid golfer and a member of the Country Club of Detroit for over 50 years.
In his younger years, Dr. Winans was a member of the rowing team at the Detroit Boat Club and was the single sculls champion in several weight classes.
He was also a member of the Yondotega Club.
He is survived by his son, John W.; his stepson, Charles W. Walton; and three grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Dorthy Jane (nee Walton).
Arrangements were made by Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to Christ Church Grosse Pointe, 61 Grosse Pointe Boulevard, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 or Hospices of Henry Ford, P.O. Box 02220, Detroit, MI 48202.
Dr. Dennis V. Adams
Grosse Pointe native Dr. Dennis V. Adams, 52, beloved husband of Katherine Dean Adams, died Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001, in Lupton, Ariz.
Dr. Adams was born March 12, 1949, in Detroit to Dr. Vincent Boucher Adams and Irene Sharon Tyll Adams. He graduated from Austin Catholic Preparatory School and the University of Dayton.
He earned his doctorate in physiology and anatomy at Wayne State University. His doctor of medicine degree in family practice was completed at St. George's Hospital in London, England.
He researched for his doctoral degree while teaching in Grenada, British West Indies. His medical residency and research continued at the Heart Hospital in London, England. He was later the chief resident at the Detroit Medical Center.
After practicing medicine throughout Michigan, he was on staff at Bon Secours Hospital and Fort Defiance Hospital in Arizona.
In 1996, Dr. and Mrs. Adams moved to Charlevoix.
Dr. Adams was a member of the Charlevoix Country Club, the Country Club of Detroit, the Huntsman Hunt Club and Bayview Yacht Club. An avid outdoorsman, he also enjoyed skiing and fly fishing.
He is also survived by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Vincent B. Adams of Grosse Pointe Farms; daughters Caroline and Ashleigh, of Chicago; brothers James and George and sisters Renee Schulte and Andrea Rodriguez.
A funeral Mass will be offered at 9:30 a.m., on Friday, Oct. 19, at St. Paul Church, 157 Lakeshore in Grosse Pointe Farms.
In lieu of floral arrangements, memorial contributions may be sent to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, c/o Komen Foundation, P. O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309.
