Delphine Lundin

On July 17, 2023, the world lost a feisty board game player, a globe-trotting adventurer, and a crossword puzzle connoisseur. Delphine Lundin left us with a legacy that won't soon be forgotten.

Delphine worked at the Bank of the Commonwealth while her children were growing up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. She then traded in numbers for books as a bookkeeper at K.J. Law in Farmington Hills, Michigan where she worked for many years until she retired. Little did they know that Delphine took the job without an ounce of bookkeeping experience.

Traveling with her husband John was an adventure of a lifetime. For years they hopped from China to Egypt, Brazil to France, England to Italy, just to name a few. Their homes were full of interesting artifacts found along their traveling path.

Delphine was a whirlwind of passion and intensity when it came to board games. If you played with her, you could bring your A-game, but her losing was not an option. Despite being a devout Catholic, her colorful vocabulary and playful cursing were enough to make any sailor blush, but it only added to the charm of playing games with her.

When not conquering a board game, Delphine could be found with her nose buried in a book, as an avid reader, or solving every crossword puzzle she could get her hands on.

Fort Myers Beach, Florida was her winter haven, and she loved nothing more than strolling on the sandy shores and collecting shells. She also loved her lunch dates with her Florida friends and going to the Lani Kai with John for their weekly lobster dinners. Delphine and John also gave back to their community and enjoyed tutoring underprivileged children.

Delphine's friendships were a treasure chest of memories, filled with the laughter and warmth of those she loved. She kept in touch with her high school friends her entire life. Therese and Odette were among her closest Michigan allies, while Inez and Jean were her fast Florida friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Mary Winck, her ex-husband King Cummings, with whom she had her four children, her nephew Scott Smigielski, and her loving husband, John Lundin, who no doubt has already challenged her to a Backgammon duel in the great beyond.

Delphine leaves behind a family who loved her dearly. Her only sister Ellen Smigielski (Steven) and four daughters, Lisa Ciatti (Daniel), Denise Cummings, Laura Cummings-Abdo (Scott), and Diane Orow (Timothy) will carry her humor, sarcasm, and spirit with them always. Her legacy continues with her stepchildren, John Lundin (Wanda) and Judith VanZandt (Michael deceased). Lisa, Denise, Laura, Diane, John and Judy will probably spend eternity debating whether Backgammon or Triominos was John and Delphine’s favorite game.

Delphine’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, scattered across the U.S., will forever remember the joy of hanging out with their grandmother, especially in their early years with her in Fort Myers Beach. Her grandchildren include Christy Estrada (John-Paul), Sarah VanZandt Chapa (Evan), Elizabeth VanZandt, Samantha Fitzpatrick (Dan), Dominic Ciatti, Jacqueline Orow, Annabelle Abdo (Matthew Meade), Brian Ciatti, Michael Ciatti, Joseph Abdo and Alexandra Bertollini (Anthony). She has five great-grandchildren including Hailey, Kenzie, Kallie, Luca and Charlotte, and nieces Mary Kay Sogge (Robert), Virginia “Ginny” Kennedy (Jason) and nephew Steven Smigielski, along with many other nieces and nephews by marriage.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life at a mass at St. Kenneth Catholic Church. The mass will be followed by a burial at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Please, no board games at the funeral service – Delphine would want everyone to be able to focus on saying their goodbyes without the distraction of a competitive Triominos match breaking out.

The family extends their gratitude to the caring staff at Sunrise Assisted Living Facility, in Northville, Michigan, who patiently endured Delphine's lively diatribes when she wasn’t pleased.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association, because even though she was a master at remembering game rules, Delphine had more than her fair share of senior moments that we all loved, especially when she used her sarcasm to call us Mickey Mouse. And we are all still wondering who Marianne is.

Rest in peace, Delphine, and may the great game of life treat you to eternal joy, adventure, and a never-ending supply of travel, games, and crossword puzzles in the afterlife. You will be sorely missed, but your spirit will live on with every roll of the dice and shuffle of the cards.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HarryjWillLivonia.com for the Lundin family.