Lois Ann Homrich

When reflecting on the life of Lois Homrich, it is easy to see that she was all about family. She was a loving wife and mother, but she just may have argued that nothing was better than being a grandmother to the five grandchildren who were the light of her life. A lifelong resident of the community she loved, Lois gave of her time to support causes that were near and dear to her heart, enriching the lives of others in the process. Life was not without times of trial for her, but she faced whatever came her way with a quiet strength and a graceful courage that were to be admired. Deeply loved, Lois will be forever missed.

The 1950s were an exciting time in America when life was rapidly changing. Televisions were becoming part of our homes like never before, and with our introduction to shows like Father Knows Best the way we saw the American family was forever transformed. This was the decade that witnessed Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat on an Alabama bus while Alaska and Hawaii became our 49th and 50th states. Amidst this exciting time was the year 1957 when Francis Joseph and Frances May (Anstead) Fleeger were pleased to announce the birth of the heathy baby girl they named Lois Ann on July 23, 1957, Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was one of five Fleeger children to be raised in the family home on VanEss Street, NW, as she was joined in her family by her three sisters, Linda, Mary, and Colleen, and her brother, Roger.

For the most part, Lois was a typical young girl of her generation. Her father worked at American Motors Company while her mother was a homemaker who also worked for a surveying company and a real estate company. The Fleegers took an annual vacation to Florida, and together they were active members of Fairhaven Baptist Church. Lois suffered with endometriosis as a child, but even at a young age she took everything in stride. She attended CA Frost Elementary, West Middle Jr. High, and then went on to graduate from Union High School with the class of 1975.

Not to be forgotten during her years as a young woman was Lois’ introduction to the young man of her dreams. His name was Larry Homrich, and they met in 1973 while at Union High School. Sparks flew almost right away, and they began dating. A year and a half later, Lois and Larry were married on March 3, 1976, at Fairhaven Baptist Church. The family lived on McKee Street, SW for one year before moving to a home on 10th Street, NW on the Westside. Finally, they spent 27 years living on Ryan Street, NW in Walker. Together Lois and Larry were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Rachele, who was born on April 11, 1979. Lois was deeply devoted to her family, and she lived to care for her husband and daughter. There were fun-filled trips to Mackinac Island as well as to Frankenmuth, Michigan. Later in life, Lois was filled with unspeakable joy to become a grandmother, and all of her grandchildren were the love of her life. She never missed a birthday or a special event at school.

In addition to caring for her family, Lois kept busy in other ways as well. She was a car fanatic who owned her own green ’94 Mustang stick shift while Larry had an AMC Javlin. Lois and her husband often visited classic car shows, and together they were big NASCAR fans. Over the years the pair visited race tracks around the country as well as closer to home at MIS and Berlin Raceway. Mark Martin was always Lois’ favorite driver. In addition to the deep love she had for her family, she was an animal lover through and through. Over the years Lois had several pets including her dogs, Snickers, Holly, Sparky, Oscar, and Tobie, as well her cats, Rosie, Snowie and Princes Lacey. After retiring, Lois began volunteering at Reuben’s Home Cat Rescue where she helped and regularly sewed cat blankets. If they ever were driving and saw a dog or cat running, Lois always felt compelled to stop and help them. She loved classic rock ’n roll music from artists like David Bowie, Janice Joplin, Bob Seger, and Tom Petty. When listening to the radio, Lois was LAV FM all the way. She never missed an afternoon with Days of Our Lives, and she also loved Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and Animal Planet.

For the past 10 years, Lois suffered with rheumatoid arthritis, which eventually greatly slowed her down. This past September she was diagnosed with pneumonia, and it was shortly thereafter that tests revealed that she had lung cancer. Lois fought hard, but the fight was too difficult for her to overcome.

Described as loving, devoted, and passionate about the people and things she loved, Lois Homrich was a blessing in the lives of all who were near. She was a selfless wife and mother who lived to love and nurture her family in ways both great and small. Lois leaves behind a timeless legacy that her loved ones will proudly carry on in her footsteps.

Lois Ann Homrich aged 58, of Grand Rapids, passed away at her home on Monday evening, May 9, 2016 with her loving family at her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Frances Fleeger. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Larry Homrich; her daughter and son-in-law, Rachele and Kevin Boyce; her five grandchildren, Alisha, Tiffany, Ken and Kyle Thai, Aaliyah Boyce; her sisters and brother, Linda (David) Borck, Mary (Harold) Hamilton, Colleen Secord (Karl), Roger Fleeger; her mother-in-law, Betty Coster; father-in-law, Tom (Dorothy) Homrich; many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncle, nieces, nephews and a friends. Lois was a loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, sister and a friend to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. A service to celebrate Lois’s life will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 11:00 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Burial in Chapel Hill Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet her family at the funeral home on Friday from 6:00 – 8:00 PM and again on Saturday from 10:00 AM until the service begins at 11:00 AM. Contributions in her memory may be made to Reuben’s Room Cat Rescue. To read more about Lois’s life, to leave your own memory of her and to sign her guest book, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com.