JOHN RASMUS GREGERSEN

John R. Gregersen, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on May 30, after a valiant fight with cancer. He was 89 years old. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 67 years, Edith Gregersen. They had a wonderful life together. Born in Montcalm County, Michigan, on May 3, 1926, John was the youngest of 6 children born to Rasmus and Kirsten (Hansen) Gregersen. At the age of 4, on the death of their parents, the family was split apart and John went to live with his maternal aunt and her husband, Laura and Floyd Kunkle, in Petoskey, Michigan. In 1941 the Kunkle family moved to Detroit, Michigan where John met the love of his life, Edith Virginia Mueller, at Cooley High School. The day before his 18th birthday, while still in high school, John joined the US Navy and World War II. He served in the Pacific on an LST and participated in the Battle of Okinawa. Following the war, John took advantage of the GI Bill and attended Wayne State University, College of Pharmacy where he graduated in 1950. John worked as a respected Pharmacist in the Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills area of Michigan for over 40 years. He was Pharmacist and Manager of Wilson’s of Bloomfield for 25 years from it’s opening in 1963 until retirement in 1988. To the customers at Wilson’s, including Michigan’s Governor, George Romney, he was known as “Doc”, always available to dispense kindness, caring, and knowledge along with the prescriptions. Throughout his life, John and Edith enjoyed traveling the world, first camping with a tent around Michigan, then with an Airstream trailer throughout the United States and the territories of Canada, by airplane to Japan with son Tom and his wife Sandi, and later by cruise ship to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal, often with daughter Cindy and her husband Don. Following retirement, John and Edith spent several years in Florida near son Tom and their grandchildren Kristen and Brian. In 2002 they moved to Grass Valley, California, near daughter Cindy, to enjoy the mountains. In California, John enjoyed carving birds and building model ships along with helping man-handle the quilts that Edith created and supporting her creative talents. Everywhere, they have enjoyed wonderful friendships and a happy fulfilling life. John is survived by his son Tom Gregersen and wife Sandra (VanderWheele), grandchildren Kristen Najmabadi (Jon), and Brian Gregersen, all living in Florida; daughter Cindy Reed and her husband Don, step-grandchildren, Rick Reed (Julie), and Ladonna Reed, all living in California, and Kurt Reed (Janie), of Missouri; daughter Sharon Fortin and her husband Mike of Louisiana, grandchildren Benjamin Fortin in California and Garrett Fortin in Pennsylvania, and sister Evelyn Gidley in Michigan who will be 100 years old in January 2016. He is predeceased by his siblings, Nelson (Nelsey) Gregersen, Hans (Harry) Gregersen, George Gregersen, Vivian (Gregersen) Geisler, Raymond Gregersen, and half-sister, Johanna Hansen. Please follow the link to enjoy a slideshow of John’s life. http://tinyurl.com/memorial-jrg A Celebration of Life Service is planned for 1:30 pm, July 9, at the Sierra Presbyterian Church in Nevada City, California. Memorials may be sent to Hospice of the Foothills, Grass Valley, California.

JOHN RASMUS GREGERSEN

May 3, 1926 - May 30, 2015