William Carey, Jr.

William Carey, Jr. passed away on May 24, 2008, at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. Bill was born in Hart on June 17, 1925, to William Carey, Sr. and Martha Kohns Carey. Bill and Ila Rochefort were married on March 1, 1947 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Muskegon. Bill was employed at CWC/Textron for 33 years and, after retirement, Bill and Ila summered in Muskegon and wintered in St. Petersburg, FL. During his younger years, Bill enjoyed hunting and fishing and, during his leisure retirement years, he enjoyed shuffling, horseshoes, and bowling. He was a 28-year member of the Muskegon Elks Lodge and the family room in their home is adorned with trophies from horseshoe tournaments. Bill was a family man who was devoted to his wife, Ila, and who savored visits from his sons and their families. Traveling each year between Michigan and Florida, Bill and Ila visited family and friends along their route, enjoyed an occasional cruise and extended driving tours of the western U.S.A. Bill and Ila enjoyed square-dancing both in Michigan and Florida, including a square-dancing excursion to Hawaii on their 25th wedding anniversary. Bill is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ila; his sons, Michael (Suyapa) Carey of Boise, Idaho and Randy Carey (Dr. Kathryn Cunningham) of Galveston, Texas; his daughter-in-law, Gwen Carey; seven grandchildren and their spouses; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Fred. A visitation with family and friends will be held Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 6:00-8:00pm at the Ever Rest Funeral Home, 1783 East Keating Ave., Muskegon. The funeral services will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 239 West Clay Ave., Muskegon on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at 10:00am followed by a luncheon. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's honor may be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org; P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718) or the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org; 460 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63141).