Cathleen M. Pranger's Obituary
Cathleen M. Pranger, age 54, of Spring Lake passed away Friday, November 13, 2015 after a long and courageous fight with ALS disease. She was born September 4, 1961 in Downey, California to Walter, Jr. and June (Wood) Akin and came to West Michigan in 1995 after getting married to Scott Larry Pranger.
Cathleen attended All Shores Wesleyan Church after being a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven.
She enjoyed a successful career in magazine publishing, but her greatest joy was being a mother to her son, Samuel. She also had many hobbies, primarily cooking, which she learned from her Italian grandmother as well as her own mother. She also, had a knack for and loved decorating and gardening. Cathleen liked to sew, knit, embroider and was crafty all due to her mother. Cathleen always had a very active lifestyle and loved to snow and water ski, among other sports. She also was an avid reader and loved collecting antiquarian books and hunted down those kind of bookshops everywhere she traveled for work or other trips. She also loved antiquing and was a big history buff, especially being an Anglophile and love of American History.
She was grateful to enjoy a rich and joyful family life and to have many friends, both a core group of long-time friends and many dear friendships since moving to Michigan.
She is survived by her former husband Scott L. Pranger; her son, Samuel Pranger of Spring Lake; her step-daughter Shannon and husband Rick LaBelle; her grandchildren Cody and Cooper Pranger all from Florida; her parents, Walter Downing Akin, Jr. and June Elizabeth (Wood) Akin of California; three siblings: Walter Downing Akin III of Utah and California, Cynthia Akin Van Buren and her husband Vernon Kay Van Buren of Utah and Julie Akin of California; eight nieces and nephews: Jonathan Van Buren, Jessica (Adam) Van Buren-Collings; Andrew “Downing” (Dakota) Van Buren, Jenessa Van Buren, Jeffrey Van Buren; two great-nieces, Audrey and Hayden Collings all of Utah, and Tyler Akin of Florida. She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by both sets of grandparents; uncle, Edward Bailey; aunt, Lucille Fancler and uncle, Paul Fancler; cousins, Mary Delle Welton, Robert Bailey and Paul “Butch” Fancler.
A special thank you to all of the support she has been given over the last 17 + years by Kimberly Parsons, first as a nanny for Samuel then later as caregiver and project manager for Cathleen. Through it all Kimberly was way more than that-she and her family became a special part of the Pranger Family. Another special thank you for the dear Shelley Sheffer for support, hardworking work and friendship she freely gave to Cathleen and the family for 8 years. And a last special thank you for Pamela Regan and Jamie Wright who have been with the family reliably and kindly for 2 + years.
Funeral Services for Cathleen will be 11:00 AM Friday, November 20, 2015 at All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake with Rev. Peter Yoshonis officiating. Visitation will be held 6-8 PM Thursday, November 19, 2015 at VanZantwick Bartels Kammeraad Funeral Home in Spring Lake. Interment will take place in Spring Lake Township Cemetery. Memorial contributions in memory of Cathleen may be given to ALS Association. Please sign the family’s online guestbook at www.vbkfuneralhome.com.
The family is being served by VanZantwick Bartels Kammeraad Funeral Home of Spring Lake.
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