Frederick Paul Cooley

of Chelsea, age 86, passed away Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at the Chelsea Retirement Community. He was born July 23, 1938, in Canton, Ohio, the son of Frederick and Edith Esther (Hookway) Cooley.

Frederick grew up in rural Stark County, Ohio. He lived near and worked on his grandparents’ farm until leaving for college in 1956. Frederick earned his A.B. degree from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, in1960, and then his Master of Divinity from the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio, in 1965. Frederick served as Chaplain for the Navy Reserves from 1968 - 1982. Frederick was a Methodist minister for 40 years. He served at the United Methodist churches in Mayfield Village, Ohio (1965-1968), Brookpark, Ohio (1968-1974), and Garfield Heights, Ohio (1974-1979). After moving to Michigan, he served as a minister at the United Methodist churches in Bay Port (1979-1983), Mt. Clemens (1983-1988), Hancock (1988-1994), Wayne (1994-2001), and after retiring, served for another 6 years at West Side United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor (2001-2007). He enjoyed wood carving, photography and framing, and going on walks with his dogs. Frederick also enjoyed traveling, his favorite places being Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Williamsburg, Virginia.

Willis Dean Westphal

of Chelsea, Michigan, age 82, passed away Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in Chelsea, Michigan. He was born January 29, 1942, in Austin, Minnesota, the son of Alvin Herman & Hazel Grace (Fox) Westphal.

Will served in the US Air Force in Inventory Control in Oscoda, Michigan, and Watertown, New York. Will & Jan moved to Chelsea in 1970. He worked for Bendix in Ann Arbor for ten years. He then worked as a Warranty Administrator for Auto Strasse BMW/Mercedes in Ann Arbor from 1983 to 2007. Will was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, and enjoyed gardening, fishing, and bowling.

Michael P. Dugan

A cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on December 11, 2024, at the age of 88. Born on December 13, 1935, in Rockford, Ohio, he was the son of Agnes and Charles Dugan.

Mike was preceded in death by his sisters, Ann (Dugan) Yergens, Geraldine (Dugan) Lange, Judith (Dugan) Hooley, and Collette Dugan, as well as his brothers, Charles and Vincent Dugan. He is survived by his brother, Joseph Dugan.

Mike proudly served in the Ohio National Guard, taking great pride in his service and country. His professional career as a pharmacist at Dayton’s Children’s Medical Center was defined by compassion and humor. Patients and colleagues alike appreciated his ability to provide comfort, often through his quick wit and trademark laugh, infused with playful sarcasm.

Mary Jo Cordell (Lawson)

Mary Jo (Sherburne) Cordell was born on December 17, 1929, in Coldwater, MI, to Virgil Arthur and Mary Katherine (Gruner) Sherburne. The family moved to Battle Creek in 1936. Mary Jo is a graduate of Battle Creek Central High School Class of 1947, and attended Argubright Business College in Battle Creek. She is also an alumna of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti where she was a member of the Stoic Society and Phi Kappa Phi honor fraternities.

She married Allen C. Lawson, Jr., in 1950, and they made their home in Ypsilanti. He preceded her in death in 1988. After his death she endowed the Willow Run School District with funds to create the Allen C. Lawson, Jr., Mathematics Scholarship.

On August 3, 1991, she married Carl Leonard Cordell of Belleville, and they made their home in Chelsea.

Mary Jo retired as an administrator at the University of Michigan Law School’s Child Advocacy Law Clinic in 1992. Prior to that she was Executive Assistant to Florine Mark, President of Weight Watchers Group, Inc., in Southfield, and at one time was Assistant Executive Vice President of the Ann Arbor Board of Realtors.