Survived by her loving husband John Russell Avolio of Livonia Michigan. Mother of Michael (Paulette) of Canton, MI; Thomas (Laura) of Grand Rapids, MI; and James (Kimberly Paulson) of Farmington Hills, MI. Grandmother to Caroline, Annabelle, Miranda, Justin, Sophie, and Dominic. Sister of the late Dr. Robert Buehrer and sister-in-law of Dixie Buehrer Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Born in Detroit, MI, on September 1, 1937 to the late Clifford Chappeus Buehrer and the late Margaret Jessie (Berkaw) Buehrer, Ann grew up between her home on Stoepel Street and Fullerton Avenue in Central Detroit in the Grand Meyer neighborhood1 and her parents' farm in the Irish Hills, Brooklyn, MI.
In Detroit, Ann attended Winterhalter Elementary school. She lived in a bustling house, shared by renters Bob and Beulah in the flat above her Fathers’ dentist office below, which faced Fullerton. She got used to living and playing in the lively atmosphere and spent much of her time tagging after her older brother Bob, eleven years her senior. Though sometimes annoyed with his little sister’s constant presence, Bob loved and cared very much for his younger sibling Ann. Bob was later drafted into the United States Army Air Force during World War II, during a time Ann described as “hard” because you never who was going to survive. Thankfully, Bob was spared from combat when the war ended during his training assignment in Okinawa, Japan.
Despite the city traffic, the Buehrer’s often made their way to the corner drug store and soda fountain, as well as the old Blakeney’s Ranch House for “hamburgs” down West Davison Street, east of Dexter Ave.2
Ann also took many trips downtown to the old Hudson’s Department Store with her Mom Margaret (“Peggy”) to shop, lunch, and bond together as Mother and Daughter. In addition,
Ann spent Holidays and special occasions with her Berkaw cousins at her Aunt Helen and Uncle George’s house in the Northwest Detroit neighborhood Grandmont-Rosedale. The Berkaw’s also owned a cottage on northern Lake St. Clair near Algonac, Michigan, where Ann, Bob, Peggy and Cliff visited often. It was at the Berkaw cottage where Ann fell multiple times off the dock and into Lake St. Clair, almost drowning. Yet, after several falls into the lake and repeated rescues by her brother Bob, Ann learned to swim and swim well. As a result, she joined the swim team at Mackenzie High School, where she graduated in 1955.
At the Irish Hills farm, where her Father Cliff dabbled in raising livestock and crops as a “Gentlemen Farmer,” Ann spent her summers in the Michigan countryside with her Mother and brother, while Dad commuted back and forth between Brooklyn and his Dentistry practice in Detroit. Ann helped her family with chores around the farm, including taking care of the plowing horse “Patsy”. Spending time with Patsy helped Ann discover one of her true loves – horses. Her family later purchased a second horse just for her, “Lady”, which Ann rode constantly as young girl, teenager, and later as a young adult woman.
Ann loved horseback riding and living in the country. One year, the family lived year-round at the farm while her Dad Cliff recovered from heart disease. Ann enjoyed attending elementary school in Brooklyn, catching the bus in front of her house on Egan Highway. But, her rural education was cut short midyear when she contracted Measles, at a time when no vaccine existed to prevent the disease. She begged her Mother to let her go back to school, but, by the time the Measles had run its course, the school year was over. The family later returned to Detroit.
After graduating from Mackenzie High School, Ann enrolled in the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree at the College of Education, with a specialty in Speech Pathology. While at the U of M, Ann joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority where she bonded with many young women to form lifetime friendships. As a gift to herself for graduating from Michigan, Ann and three of her best friends boarded a cruise ship and sailed to Europe for a memorable vacation. There, the four young women rented a Volkswagen and toured the continent.
Upon returning to the United States, Ann landed her first job as Speech Pathologist in the Redford Union School District, Redford, MI, just west of Detroit. She commuted to work from her first apartment, which she rented with her friend Barb, on Eight Mile, East of Telegraph, near the old Edgewater Amusement Park. It was at Edgewater coincidentally that her parents first courted 40 plus years earlier. Ann started courting herself, meeting her future husband John in Redford Union, where he taught instrumental music. While dating, Ann brought John to her Irish Hills farm. Amazingly, she taught John, a city kid from Utica, New York, how to ride a horse, her beloved Lady.
Ann and John married in 1961 at the Mary-Martha Chapel in historic Greenfield Village of Dearborn, MI. The newlyweds moved to Livonia, Michigan. First, they built a new home in Brookwood Estates, north of Six Mile Road and West of Middlebelt Road, near the old Livonia Mall. During that time, there were still many farms to the west. Their new subdivision was filled with young adults who did many activities together. Soon, the young adults like Ann and John started having families.
Ann and John raised three sons. They become first-time parents in 1965, while the Vietnam War began raging a half a world away, with the birth of their son Michael. Their second son Thomas followed quickly in 1967, a few months before the Detroit Riot/Uprising. Their youngest son James joined the rest of the family in the summer of 1970, a year after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Ann left her job as Speech Pathologist and stayed home as a full-time Mother and housewife with her children. The boys attended Livonia Public Schools, while John continued to work as an educator in Redford. During the summer, Ann, John, and sons continued to take trips to the farm to see “Grandma” and “Grandpa” Buehrer. They also visited John’s family in upstate New York via Ontario, Canada, where they took many side trips to Toronto, Kingston, and Niagara Falls.
As the boys grew older, the Avolio Family moved west in 1977, down Six Mile, to another new Livonia subdivision, where they bought Ann and John’s current home on Lancashire Court. Soon after moving, Ann rejoined the workforce. She started first in the Advertisement Placement Department of the Observer-Eccentric newspapers in their main office on Schoolcraft Road, between Farmington and Levan roads. Later, Ann renewed her teaching certificate at Eastern Michigan University and eventually landed a job with Wayne-Westland Schools as, once again, a Speech Pathologist. Despite the time crunch, Ann achieved a life balance between working and still being a wife to John and a Mom to her teenage sons. Ann loved working with students and became lifelong friends with many of her co-workers. She retired from teaching in 1998.
Before retiring, Ann and John started going on many trips and excursions. They visited many US vacation destinations such as Alaska, Hawaii, New England, San Francisco, and Yosemite National Park in California. They expanded their adventures pass the U.S. border, touring Mexico, the Caribbean, France, Italy, and Turkey. After retiring, Ann and John spent many winters in Marco Island on Gulf Coast of Florida. They also purchased a time share condominium at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, MI, where they entertained their sons along with their new daughter-in-law’s and grandchildren.
Though they cut down on their traveling later in life, Ann and John remained active. Ann continued her other favorite hobby, swimming, at Schoolcraft College. Ann and John also made every effort to attend their Grandchildren’s dance recitals, concerts, and athletic events. They continued to have family Holidays and get-togethers at their Livonia home, as well as at their favorite restaurant BRAVO Cucina Italiana on Haggerty Road.
The family plans to hold a Memorial Service for Ann on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 11:30am (Gathering begins at 10:30am) at Harry J. Will Funeral Home in Livonia.
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