Shirley Ann Rutkowski

Shirley Ann Rutkowski, a long-time resident of Grayling, Michigan, died Saturday, the 12th of September, 2015, at Munson Hospice House in Traverse City, Michigan, with family by her side. Shirley was born in 1927 in Detroit, Michigan, to Aloysius and Ann Carriveau. In 1944, the family moved to Grayling where Shirley met Edmund Rutkowski. They were married on September 14, 1946, at St. Mary's Church in Grayling. Together they raised six children. They lived a busy military life, moving to Camp Grayling in the early-1960s until Colonel Ed's retirement in 1978. Shirley and Ed then traveled the country and eventually began spending winters in Clearwater, Florida. In addition to raising her family and her duties as a military wife, Shirley devoted time to the St. Mary's Church women's group, assisting with rummage sales, bake sales, and planning funeral breakfasts for church members who passed. She also worked for a time as a teacher's aide with the Crawford AuSable School District, and she was a volunteer with the Mercy Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary for 10+ years. Shirley loved to keep busy, laugh, spend time with her kids and grandkids, socialize, travel, play cards, and could never turn down a trip to the casino. Shirley is preceded in death by her husband Edmund Rutkowski and son Dave Rutkowski. She is survived by her children: Linda Franklin, Kathie Piper and Mary Kolka of Traverse City, Rick Rutkowski of Crested Butte, Colorado, and Debbie Rutkowski of Grayling; grandchildren: Mark Franklin, Amanda Tessier, Melisa Castillo, Dustin Parks, Eric Franklin, Sarah Piper, Sarah Rutkowski, and Andrea Kolka; and her great grandchildren: Simon Rutkowski, Shae and Sophia Castillo, Martin and Hazel Tessier, and Charlie Franklin. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Grayling, to be followed with a luncheon at St. Mary's Family Centerl. Interment will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Elmwood Cemetery in Grayling. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Mercy Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary (now known as Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital) at 1100 East Michigan Avenue, Grayling, or to Munson Hospice House at 450 Brook Street, Traverse City, Michigan 49684. Condolences may be sent to www.sorensonlockwood.com Arrangements by Sorenson-Lockwood Funeral Home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Shirley Ann Rutkowski, please visit our flower store.