Katie Cross

Catherine “Katie” Cross was born on January 26, 1948. She was preceded in death by parents George and Charlotte Virga, brother Michael Virga, husband Jesse Myles, and husband Robert Cross.

Katie, the youngest of three, grew up in Royal Oak with her parents and her siblings, Mike and Sara. She attended Shrine Catholic High School before attending Michigan State University, where she studied Art. She met Jesse Myles while attending Michigan State University, and they married in 1969. During their marriage, which ended in 1988, Katie and Jesse had three children, Monty, Greg, and Natasha. Raising their children in the Forest Green subdivision in Perry, the Myles family made many dear friends. After moving out of Perry, Katie continued to cultivate those friendships, lovingly referring to her closest friends as The Girls. She had so many fond memories of time spent with these friends and especially looked forward to making more memories with The Girls.

Katie was an involved mother, attending as many of her children’s sporting events as she could and, in later years, attending her grandchildren’s events with the same enthusiasm. She introduced her children to the outdoors, taking them on camping trips throughout Michigan. She often took them to Chicago to visit her sister, Sara, and Sara’s family. She even took them to California in 1987, where they had the adventure of a lifetime.

In 1988 Katie decided to make a change. She and the kids moved to East Lansing. It was a huge adjustment for everyone. With her eldest child, Monty, off to college and with Greg and Natasha in High School, she had time again to go out and listen to the live music she loved—jazz, blues & Motown. In 1990, Katie met Bob Cross while attending a live jazz event at a Lansing bar. They married in 1995, and with the help of their boys, the couple built their beautiful Williamston home from the ground up.

Katie and Bob spent their time traveling the world. They visited Paris, Belize, Hawaii, California, and several US National Parks and landmarks, including a camping tour of Network to Freedom locations. These locations, as listed by the National Park Service, are sites with verifiable connections to the Underground Railroad. The history these sites represented were very important to Katie.

When they were not traveling, Katie and Bob hosted family dinners and activities at their home. Their Easter Egg hunts—massive affairs—were always a hit with both the children and the adults. Katie was a fabulous cook, who never wrote down a recipe in her life. She cooked straight from the heart, which was clear with every bite.

Each Halloween, Katie and Bob grew an enormous pumpkin patch that the grandkids could wander through and collect lots of pumpkins. Katie was extremely creative. She enjoyed sewing and would design and craft the grandkids’ Halloween costumes.

Katie started her tax career at H&R Block. She then went back to school to complete an accounting degree before going on to work as an accountant at Deloitte & Touche, where she made friends that would remain an important part of her life. Katie left Deloitte & Touche after accepting a job at Warmels & Comstock. Once again, she made several friends there that she always looked forward to spending time with. She enjoyed the atmosphere at Warmels & Comstock, where she was able to help the average person with their accounting needs, rather than focusing on giant corporations. Katie was a philanthropist at heart and served for several years as a volunteer and board member at a local women’s shelter in East Lansing.

Katie had a wonderfully green thumb that grew beautiful flowers and abundant vegetables. She even managed to grow a lemon tree in Michigan. She was a truly giving person who shared her passions with her children, grandchildren, and friends. Her love of travel led to annual family trips; her love of art to festivals and stage plays at the Wharton Center; her love of culture led to her instilling in everyone who knew her a great appreciation of diversity.

After becoming a widow in 2017, Katie moved back to East Lansing. She continued doing her favorite things: attending live music events, arts and crafts, traveling the world. She visited Spain with her granddaughter Victoria, Tanzania with her dear friend Julie, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico with her children and grandchildren. Family meant the world to her, and when she was not nurturing her inner poet and artist by taking art classes at the community center or visiting the cabin to watch the sunset on the lake, she was spending time with her family.

Katie leaves many people behind to cherish her memory. Her closest loved ones include her children: Monty (Krista) Myles, Greg (Barb) Myles, Natasha (Vince) Baldwin; her grandchildren: Klarissa, Victoria, Devlin, Chloe, Jared, MJ, Mikhail, Westin, Georgia, Travis, and Gregory; her great grandchildren: Addison, Grayson, Joey, KJ, and Emery; her sister: Sara (Tom) Kresse. A host of loving friends and other family members also mourn her passing and celebrate the life she lived.

A memorial service for Katie will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 12:00 PM, with a one-hour prior visitation from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823.

Contributions in Katie's memory may be made to Haven House, 121 Whitehills Dr., East Lansing, MI 48823.