Darrell Little

Darrell F. Little, age 84, of Gobles, MI passed away at home on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, surrounded by his family. Darrell was born on May 4, 1930, in Comstock, MI, the son of the late William and Floe (Robertson) Little. On January 5, 1951, Darrell entered into the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 72nd Tank Battalion, serving in Korea. He was honorably discharged on December 19, 1952. On April 28, 1951, he married the love of his life and childhood sweetheart, Eleanor (Sincler) Little who preceded him in passing on June 7, 2014. He was also preceded in passing by his siblings, Robert and Howard Little, Beulah (Carl) Merkle, Lionel, Leslie, Jack and Elmer (Pat) Little; in-laws, Allen "Moe" Sincler, Robert Wells, Howard Mills, and Lee (Arnold) Austin. Darrell loved sports. In his youth, he enjoyed horseshoes, bowling, and hunting. For over 50 years, he was an avid and loyal fan of Gobles High School football and helped lay the sod for the original new field. There was rarely a game he missed! He was a Little League coach and was also involved with Cub Scouts. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren and great-grandchildren play sports and did his best to be involved with them. Darrell had a strong work ethic and retired from Borroughs Corporation in 1995. When not working he loved spending time in his pole barn, being outdoors working around the yard, or catching a Detroit Tiger's baseball game. Eleanor and Darrell also enjoyed traveling and wintered in Florida for 17 years. He loved his family, his friends and leaves them with many wonderful memories and the legacy of a life well lived. He is survived by two children, Steve Little and Brenda (Jim) Little-Beaudoin; three grandchildren, Kimberly (Thomas LeFlore) Beaudoin, Jamie (Eddie) Bobbio, Andy (Megan) Beaudoin; seven great-grandchildren, Sierra, MJ, Addison, Izaak, Anthony, Emma, Cooper; a sister, Dolores (Ted) Pereza; sister-in-laws, Harriet, Lena, and Lucy "Tootie" Little, Verniece (Avery) Austin, Marilyn Wells, Audrey Mills, Judy Troutman, and Diana Sincler; many nieces, nephews, cousins, and great friends. In accordance with his wishes, cremation will take place and a memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2015, at the funeral home beginning at 11:00 AM, with Chaplain Jim Wessing officiating. A visitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00 AM, one hour prior to the service. A private interment will be held at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. The family would like to thank Hospice Care of S.W. Michigan for their compassionate care during Darrell's final days. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice Care of S.W. Michigan, c/o the funeral home.