Toni Foltin

Although she treasured countless experiences that were so meaningful, there was nothing that was more important to Toni Foltin than being surrounded by her loved ones. She worked hard throughout much of her life, but she also made the time to savor even the ordinary moments of every day. Toni certainly loved her roles as a wife and mother, but she just may have argued that becoming a grandmother was her greatest reward as she lived to spoil her grandchildren as often as she could. She was never one to be concerned with building wealth, rather, she was content in wherever life took her throughout her entire life’s journey. With unending devotion to her family and friends, Toni was a genuine blessing to all who were near.

During the first half of the 1940s, the eyes of our nation were focused overseas as WWII involved more and more of Europe. There was celebration in the streets when America and our allies were victorious after the historic dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945, bringing the long war to an end. It was while America was making the shift to being a nation at peace once again that a young couple from Southwestern Michigan was filled with great anticipation for the arrival of a new little one as the blanket of winter set its sights on Kalamazoo in 1948. The big day finally arrived on December 9th when Elvin and Evelyn (Courtney) Ford announced the birth of the healthy baby girl they named Toni M. She was the youngest of three children in her family, and she was raised in the family home in Kalamazoo during her youngest years. Toni and her family were given a tough pill to swallow with the death of her father when she was just a young girl. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Sarasota, Florida, when she was nine where Toni spent the remainder of her formative years.

For the most part Toni experienced an upbringing that was a reflection of the time. She enjoyed things like camping and spending time outdoors in addition to reading. Toni was a student at local schools who went on to graduate from high school in Florida.

When returning to Kalamazoo some time later, Toni met the young man of her dreams. His name was Joe Foltin, and they got to know one another when she and her family moved into the house next door to his best friend. They continued talking, and over time they fell deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Toni and Joe were united in marriage on November 15, 1969, in Kalamazoo.

A few years later, the couple was delighted to learn that they would become parents. In 1974 they welcomed their daughter, Stacy, into their hearts and home. A bit later their twin boys, Steve and Mike, came along, and with the birth of Christine their family of six was complete. Toni was very involved in the lives of her children, and she enjoyed just having fun together. Among their favorite activities were trips to the park and camping at Ft. Custer. She enjoyed cooking and considered it a privilege to do so for her family.

First and foremost in Toni’s life was her family, but she did enjoy working outside of the home as well. Prior to having children she spent about eight years working in data entry at Brown Paper Company. Once all of her children were in school, Toni began working for Kalamazoo Public Schools at Millwood Middle School and Parkwood-Upjohn as well as at Norrix High School for a short time. For the most part she worked as a teaching assistant, and she especially liked being a math tutor. She spent 12 years working with various students, and she loved her work, too. In addition, Toni spent more than five years working as a cook in the cafeteria at Meijer on South Westnedge.

Throughout her life Toni was a woman of many interests. She enjoyed mid-evil history and attended several renaissance festivals over the years. Toni was a cat person who also helped care for the fish that her children got from the fair. She enjoyed music, but wasn’t very particular in what she listened to, however, “Wind Beneath My Wings” was her favorite song. Reading popular fiction was also something that she enjoyed keeping busy with. As someone who loved being at the beach, tolerating Michigan winters became more challenging as Toni got older. She regularly visited yard sales and flea markets for treasures of all kinds including a dragon to add to her collection. Toni didn’t watch a lot of television, but she did enjoy both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! For years she played cards as well as bingo on a weekly basis. Later in life she was thrilled to become a grandmother, and she spent every moment with her grandchildren that she could. As grandmothers so often do, Toni loved spoiling them. It seemed she was always taking them out for an adventure of some kind. Movies were something they especially enjoyed doing together. During her sunset years Toni needed to slow down as health issues began to creep in. About ten years ago she started dealing with arthritis in her hip as well as various respiratory problems that became more prevalent during the last five years.

With a contagious zest for life, Toni Foltin made a significant impact in the lives of those around her. She was fun-loving and always up for a good time, especially when those moments were shared with her loved ones. Dedicated and loyal, Toni was willing to do whatever she could for others. She will be deeply missed and warmly remembered by all who were blessed to know and love her.

Toni M. Foltin, of Kalamazoo, died November 17, 2014, in Kalamazoo. Members of her family include her husband of 45 years, Joe Foltin; 4 children: Stacy Foltin, Steve (Susan) Foltin, Mike (Sandra) Foltin and Christine Foltin; and her sister, Sherry Rae. Toni was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Ford. Cremation has taken place. Services will be held Thursday 11 a.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler-Kalamazoo, 6080 Stadium Drive; 375-2900 with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. Please visit Toni’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.