George Laverne Willits left to be with our lord on September 11, 2023. He was a larger than life presence that will forever be missed. His wife Bethel Yvonne passed before him, as well as his brother James Willits, sister Viola Byington ( Pete), and a brother who died in childhood, Leeland Rue. He is survived by his children Cynthia (Darrius) Hart, Terry Willits Walls (Scott), Heidi (Tom) McAuley, Carl (Kim ) Willits, Jennie (Richard) Nerkowski, and Donna (Matt) Andrews. Grandchildren: Angela, Morgan, Erin, Kyle, Hannah , Victoria, Michael, and Kate and great grandchildren Michael, Maddie, Aubrey, and Liam. He is also survived by his brother Charles and his sister Virginia (Johnny) Pettinger, and his sister in law Patricia Willits.
George was born in a house that served as a hospital in Lansing on Pennsylvania Avenue, in 1933. His family moved too many times to list here but finally settled in Okemos, MI. George played football for Okemos , loved to ice skate, and liked to skip out of church when he could. He was a hard worker, walking for miles or riding his bicycle into East Lansing to work at the golf course, mow lawns and cut wood. He left school to join the Marines and served his country in the Korean war.
George fell in love with Bethel in Lansing, Michigan on a double date, not believing his luck that someone as beautiful as her would go out with him. They were married and settled in their forever home in Mason, Michigan, a small house in the country on a dirt road. It was the perfect place to raise children, and they started a family soon after moving.
George worked in construction, and concrete work. His children and friends spent a lot of time driving George around the past several years, and all agree we don’t think there is a street in Lansing that he didn’t do some type of work on the curbing.
George loved to garden and was said to have ‘magic hands” in regards to his plants. Every single plant had a story, and most of his trees. If you admired any of them he would try to break off a branch for you saying “Just put it in the ground it will grow” and it did ! As his children grew, he had an enormous garden and grew enough food to feed his whole family through the harsh winters as well as anyone else who came to visit during the summer. Nobody left without a bag of fresh produce. He taught his children so much about providing for themselves, and sharing with others by his own example.
As he grew older he told many stories of his time in Korea. Though kept the worst to himself usually only telling his family stories of himself getting into mischief, those years affected him deeply . He kept those who served with him close to him, often visiting their graves to ensure they were not forgotten. On Memorial Day, every veteran he knew got a flower from him , and if he spotted graves nobody had attended, they got flowers too. He spent many years working at the local VFW post, building the ramp into the post, erecting flags, mowing the grounds, planting perennial beds and playing shuffleboard.
He was fiercely loyal to his parents. As his mom and dad could no longer care for everything themselves, he went to the house almost every day to check on them. He cared for his brother Charlie checking on him regularly and helping to keep his lawn mowed. George worried and cared for those he saw as needing help, but he rarely if ever accepted help for himself. He was a really good friend, with too many friends to mention here. In his last years several very special friends showed him as much loyalty and care as he did them, spending an entire week with him in the hospital, taking him to buy even more flowers, wood for his never ending home projects, fixing his constantly breaking mowers and taking him on cemetery visits. He was a presence most people did not forget. His neighbors loved him, and listened daily for the sound of his mower to make sure he was ok. He had two special caregivers who he insisted he did not need, but missed like crazy when they were absent. We want to especially thank them for being second eyes and ears when family could not be there, and for loving and caring for him and our mother Bethel for many years.
George loved his children, grandchildren, and friends fiercely. When we left to go home, he waited up for our calls to tell him we were home safe. And woe to those who forgot to call ! His neighbor Billy summed up George when he said this, “The thing of the most value George had in his house was his big heart”.
Please join us in honoring George’s life and contribution to his country for a military service to be held at the VFW Post 7309, 1243 Hull Rd, Mason , Michigan , Friday October 13, 2023, at 4:30 p.m.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.11.3