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Beverly F. Kennedy
Beverly F. Kennedy, 79, of the City of Grosse Pointe, died on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2002, at Bon Secours Hospital in Grosse Pointe.
Mrs. Kennedy was born in Cambridge, Mass., at the same hospital in which she later trained to be a registered nurse. She was an enthusiastic athlete in her youth, enjoying a variety of sports and becoming quite an accomplished diver. She was involved in Scouting throughout her life and was one of the last Girl Scouts to be awarded the Eaglet. She was also quite active in her church, where, as a teen, she taught Sunday School for several years. A cartoon that immortalized this endeavor, drawn by the father of one of her pupils, was published in the Boston Herald.
Mrs. Kennedy completed her nurse's training at Mount Auburn Hospital and enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps. She served in Normandy during World War II where she met Capt. Lawrence Kennedy, her future husband.
After returning to the States following the War, the couple migrated to Ann Arbor where they gambled on the purchase of a large rooming house. Beverly managed the house while Larry completed his degree programs. She ran this home for 20 male students like a veteran, although she wasn't much older than many of the tenants. Rules were observed, rents were collected, nocturnal visitors were discovered and expelled and troubled young men got caring support and empathy. Neighbors, also running rooming houses, were suitably impressed with her managerial skills as well as her ability to raise a family, as the couple had four children before leaving Ann Arbor.
During her husband's teaching career, Mrs. Kennedy was active in Faculty Wives and a wide variety of volunteer efforts. She was a member of the United Methodist Women, worked with the American Red Cross as a blood bank organizer, set up a local American Cancer Society office at Cottage Hospital, was involved in Indian Guides, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League and Babe Ruth. She was also active in PTA and Mothers' Club throughout her children's tenure in the Grosse Pointe schools.
When her youngest child went to school, she returned to her nursing career, working part-time at Cottage Hospital. She especially enjoyed her days working in labor and delivery.
Though she never had formal artistic training, her creativity found expression in a wide variety of areas including poetry, crafts, china painting, cake decorating, sewing and needlework. She was especially proficient when it came time to create decorations for proms and Mothers' Club teas. In recent years, she volunteered her time and talents to the Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, creating gift items for the Boutique.
Mrs. Kennedy is survived by her sons, Lawrence F. Kennedy, Jr., William P. Kennedy and A. Bruce Kennedy; her daughters Susan Stangland and Alice Maun; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Lawrence Kennedy.
A memorial service was held at Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church on Feb. 16. Mrs. Kennedy's ashes were inhumed, together with her husband's, in the Memorial Garden at the church.
Memorial gifts may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.
Virginia Delbridge Litle
Virginia Delbridge Litle, 90, died on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2002, in Atlanta, Ga., where she had resided for 20 years.
Mrs. Litle was born in Detroit and lived for many years in Grosse Pointe Farms. She was the wife of the late Thomas J. Litle III, an advertising executive for Time-Life.
Mrs. Litle graduated from the Liggett School in 1929 and Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y. She made her debut in 1932.
She was very active in her community and served as president of the Junior League of Detroit from 1936 through 1938. She was also a trustee of the Liggett School, curator assistant at the Detroit Institute of Arts, founder of IBEX and an officer of the Tau Beta Association.
In addition, she was a member of The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Atlanta History Center and a former member of the Farmington Country Club of Charlottesville, Va., the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Grosse Pointe Human Relations Council, the Country Club of Detroit and the University Club.
Mrs. Litle was always active in her church. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Grosse Pointe Farms. She later joined Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church in Grosse Pointe Farms where she became one of the first two women Elders, Clerk of Session and a Sunday School teacher. She also organized the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church archives.
The Delbridge family lived from 1912 until 1919 in a house on Jefferson Avenue, still standing but much enlarged, across from the end of Neff Road as there was no Woodland Place at the time. In 1929, the Delbridges moved to Hendrie Lane. After her marriage, she designed and built three homes, on Meadow Lane, Tonnacour Place and Fisher Road.
She was predeceased by her parents, Charles Fisher and Florence Emma More Delbridge; two brothers Charles F. Delbridge, Jr. and William More Delbridge and her mother-in-law, Marguerite Grant Litle, all of Grosse Pointe.
Mrs. Litle is survived by her sons, Thomas J. Litle IV of Concord, Mass. and John D. Litle of Detroit; her daughter Letitia 'Tish' Russ) Millette of Atlanta, Ga.; her grandchildren, Dr. Virginia R. Tony Godfrey) Litle; Thomas J. Litle V, Justice C. Litle, Germaine Pollack, Adam B. Litle, Jacqueline 'Kelly' Grimes and B. W. 'Liam' Grimes, Jr.; three great-grandchildren and her sister-in-law Virginia William) Delbridge of Grosse Pointe Park.
A memorial service was held on Feb. 4 at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Ga. A memorial service at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church will be held in the spring on a date to be announced later.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lakeshore Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236; Hospice Atlanta, 1244 Park Vista Dr., Atlanta, GA 30319 or the charity of your choice.
Arthur Sandt, Jr.
Former Grosse Pointe Park resident Arthur 'Ralph' Sandt, Jr., 78, beloved soul mate of Evette, died on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2002, at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital in Clinton Township.
Born on July 15, 1923, in Mitchell, S. D., Mr. Sandt graduated in 1947 from the University of Michigan where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He served in World War II as a Naval Aviator, Lt. j.g./02 retired.
Mr. Sandt, who relocated to Harrison Township, was retired from Kmart Corp. and was most recently working for Home Depot.
He was active with Boy Scout Troop 96 of Grosse Pointe Memorial Church and Grosse Pointe Park Little League. In addition, Mr. Sandt enjoyed golf and photography.
According to his family, these words, framed and hung on the wall of his home, capture Mr. Sandt's philosophy of life. 'I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, There! She's gone.'
'Gone Where? Gone from my sight...that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of Destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says, There! She's gone.' there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, There she comes!'
'And that is life!'
Mr. Sandt is also survived by his sons, Sandy Sandt, Steve Sandt and Jim Sandt and was the beloved grandfather of Zooter.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Special Olympics, 124 Washington Square, 2570 Boulevard of the Generals, Norristown, PA 19403.
The Sandt family urges you to discuss the subject of advanced medical directives and organ donation with your family and loved ones.
Elizabeth Smith
Former Grosse Pointe Shores resident Elizabeth Smith, 79, of Frankfort and Naples, Fla., died on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, in Naples, Fla.
Mrs. Smith was a volunteer at the Bon Secours Hospital Gift Shop and a member of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Periwinkle Garden Club of Frankfort and the Quiddlers Art Group of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
An avid golfer, Mrs. Smith won a tournament at the age of 77, just one week before her first stroke. For 20 years, she was a champion bowler at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and also enjoyed tai chi.
Mrs. Smith is survived by her husband of 55 years, Roger K. Smith; her sons Douglas L. Smith of Ann Arbor, Gregory R. Michele) Smith of Hickory Corners and Clayton K. Julie) Smith of Bloomfield Hills; her grandchildren Jessica, Colin, Cassie, Shelby, Aaron, Andre, Kyle and Alora; her brothers Walter Betty) Merna of Delray Beach, Fla; her aunts Rita Kowal of Warren and Anastasia Kowal of Royal Oak and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, Feb. 22, 2002, at 11 a.m., at A. H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Periwinkle Garden Club of Frankfort or the Detroit Insitute of Arts.
Dr. Robert H. Snyder
Former Grosse Pointe resident Dr. Robert H. Snyder, 83, an expert in the tire and rubber industry, died on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2002, at the home of his daughter in Sudbury, Mass.
Born Oct. 11, 1918 in Great Falls, Mont., Dr. Snyder was the son of the late Harvey and Helen Johnson Snyder. For 56 years, he was the husband of Evelyn Kuivnen Snyder of Wayland, Mass.
Dr. Snyder was a veteran of more than 50 years in rubber and tire development. He was a 1940 graduate of the University of Michigan where he earned his bachelor of science degree in chemistry. After two years as a junior chemist with Hoffman-LaRoche, he was employed by the United States Rubber Co. in the General Laboratory in Passaic, N.J. He continued his work with the company for 45 years except for a three-year leave of absence during which time he studied at the University of Chicago, earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1948. He then returned to the United States Rubber Co. General Laboratories and led the research teams in organic chemical synthesis and vinyl polymerization. He became director of Synthetic Rubber Research before transferring to the company's Tire Division in Detroit as Director of Materials Research. Dr. Snyder retired from the company in 1987.
Dr. Snyder wrote more than 20 published papers and held 36 patents. He was active in many technical organizations within his industry, including the directorship in the rubber division of the American Chemical Society and, for 10 years, was the chairman of the Highway Tire Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
After retirement, Dr. Snyder pursued an interest in tire recycling which he had held for many years. He was often a speaker and consultant at recycling symposia. In 1997, he was the recipient of the International Tire and Rubber Association Industry Pioneer Award for his innovative contributions to scrap tire recycling. He was the author of the highly regarded book, Scrap TiresÑDisposal and Reuse, which was published in hard copy in 1998. From 1987 until his death, Dr. Snyder was the President of the Tire Technology, Inc., a company he founded in Grosse Pointe.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters Lucinda Lagasse of Sudbury, Mass., Cornelia Snyder of Denver, Colo., and Christine Gross of Tucson, Ariz. and three grandchildren. He was also the father of the late William D. Snyder.
Arrangements are under the care of the Duckett - J. S. Waterman and Sons Funeral Home of Sudbury, Mass. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m., at Christ Episcopal Church, 61 Grosse Pointe Blvd. in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Contributions in memory of Dr. Snyder should be directed to the Development Office, University of Chicago, 5801 S. Ellis, Chicago, IL 60637 or the Children's Home of Detroit, 900 Cook Rd., Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236.
Charles M. Thomas
Grosse Pointe Woods resident Charles M. Thomas, 55, founder and publisher of the Used Car News, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital West in Clinton Township after a two-month battle with esophageal cancer.
In early 1995, Mr. Thomas founded the Used Car News, a bimonthly international business newspaper that covers the $16-billion used car industry. At his death, the Used Car News, headquarters in St. Clair Shores, had grown to employ 20 people and had a circulation in excess of 60,000.
Mr. Thomas began his journalism career as a reporter at the now-defunct Utica Sentinel. In 1971, he moved to the Macomb Daily, where he was a beat reporter, columnist, copy editor and news editor during his nearly two decades with the paper. While at the Macomb Daily, he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, journalism's highest honor, and won numerous awards for his reporting and writing.
Mr. Thomas met his wife Lynda when they were both Macomb Daily reporters. 'Our first real date was take-out tacos in the newsroom, when I was working afternoons,' she said. 'It was interrupted by a tornado that touched down in New Haven and we were sent out to cover it.'
The pair won his-and-hers news writing awards from the Associated Press for that assignment.
Mr. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree in English literature and language from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, and was a 1965 graduate of Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores.
A dedicated martial artist, he earned his brown belt in Hap Ki Do in October and was awarded a black belt in Tae Kwon Do earlier this month by Master Brian Pontillo.
Mr. Thomas was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Auto Auction Association and the United Tae Kwon Do Society.
In addition to his wife Lynda, his daughters Kathryn, Melanie and Elizabeth survive him. Other survivors include his sister, Mary Dempsey of Tacoma, Wash.; his brothers John Thomas of Tacoma, Wash. and United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Thomas of Spokane, Wash.; his aunt Helen Thomas of Detroit; his uncle Grant Eastman of Saginaw; a nephew and six nieces. His parents Catherine and Sylvan Thomas of St. Clair Shores predeceased him.
Arrangements were handled by the A. H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe Woods. A funeral service was held on Feb. 18, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Grosse Pointe Woods, with Pastors Boelter and Holzerland officiating. Interment is at Cadillac Memorial Gardens in Clinton Township.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Christ the King Lutheran Church, 20338 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236; The Charles M. Thomas Esophageal Cancer Research Fund or to Hospice of Michigan.
Virginia Gale VanderZee
Virginia Gale VanderZee died on Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, at her Grosse Pointe Woods home.
She was the daughter of a former vice president of the Chrysler Corp. and a graduate of the Grosse Pointe Country Day School and Chevy Chase College in Washington, D. C.
Ms. VanderZee was a secretary at Ross Roy Advertising, Inc. and the United Foundation.
She was a member of the Humane Society of Michigan and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C.
Ms. VanderZee was a 'wonderful, generous person,' said her sister, Joan Towar.
Memorial donations may be made to your favorite charity.
