Eldest daughter of Richard and Lenor Burson, most recently of Bloomfield Hills, formerly of Wyandotte, MI, Madison, WI, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Rochester Hills, MI, and Fort Myers, FL, died Friday, March 15, 2024.
Karen had an insatiable love for stories. Whenever she encountered a tale that made her laugh, she'd request it from you repeatedly, amplifying her laughter with each retelling. If you were unavailable to oblige, she'd happily steal your story as her own performance piece. If you haven't heard the "madras" story, or the one about the 14-point buck, please don't hesitate to inquire.
Her passions were as big as her spirit. Karen fancied herself the Julia Child of the Midwest, whipping up feasts fit for an army no matter the number gathered around the table. Her affinity for all things extra extended beyond her cooking, from her ubiquitous super-sized iced tea jug to her cherished dogs. Starting with reasonably-sized golden retrievers and labradors, Karen soon graduated to colossal Newfoundlands and eventually to English Mastiffs—the gentle giants of the dog world.
Karen's love for her husband, LeRoy, was her biggest gift to herself and she missed him terribly and struggled after his passing in 2004. Their shared world adventures included years in Heidelberg, Germany, where LeRoy served as an Army Captain before being deployed to Vietnam. Later, Karen and LeRoy co-managed one of the hottest tailgates at the University of Michigan stadium for more than 25 years, set up just outside the player entrance–where her cook-for-an-army instincts came in very handy. Married 40 years, theirs was a shared life filled with good friends and grand fun.
William David “Bill” Bell, eldest son of Donald and Dorothy Bell passed March 10, 2024 at the age of 93. We are grateful that he passed peacefully with his family at his side and lovingly cared for by the staff at Evangelical Health in Saline MI. Our “Dad” to the end, he was most concerned that his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are all well and happy; bills are paid, arrangements made. We know Dad was welcomed with open arms into Heaven by Mom (“Billie”), daughter Jane, his parents, and the many friends, family and faithful pets who preceded him in death.
A thoughtful, loyal, honest person who believed in service, Bill was always involved in his community whether as the Mayor, school board member, volunteer police officer, HOA President, club President, or Board Member of a charity.