Clara J. Egeler's Obituary
Clara J. Egeler, age 83, died Wednesday, November 7, 2018 after a prolonged illness. She was born in Muskegon, MI on September 6, 1935 to Owen and Mabel (Horan) Colligan. Clara married Don Egeler on May 28, 1960 and celebrated 50 years of marriage before he passed in 2011. She was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. She was a graduate of Aquinas College and held many accounting positions in the Muskegon area (including Muskegon Catholic Central and the YFCA) and retired from the Law Firm of Evans and Portenga, PC. Clara volunteered on many social justice issues and committees with her husband, Don. She was a member of CAST, taught CCD and English as a Second Language. She enjoyed playing bridge, euchre and cribbage, dancing, traveling, and her religious group Quest. Family was most important: Clara loved holidays, gatherings at the Lake House, shopping, casino trips, hockey games, and baseball games. She also enjoyed introducing her grandchildren to live theatre and sharing in the school activities with her children and grandchildren. She tried to be a part of all her nieces and nephews’ lives, all 48 of them, as well as cousins, aunts and uncles, classmates and her friends. She had the greatest circle of friends and neighbors. Clara is survived by her three children, Joe (Sara) Egeler, Sandy (Bill) DeJonge, and Tom Egeler; grandchildren, Jaclyn (Andy) Varney, Wendi DeJonge (Myles Sylva), Tim Egeler, and Brad Egeler; great-grandchildren, Brynlie and Kennadi; brothers, Chuck (Marion) Colligan and Ray (Karla) Colligan; sisters-in-law, Betty Dault, Barb (Darryl) Rose, Sue Colligan, Joyce Colligan, Jeanette Egeler; brother-in-law, Bobby Egeler; Aunt Kay Dunphy, Aunt Julia Lanning, Aunt Bernice Brown and Uncle Ralph (Rita) Horan; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband and family members, Barb & Glenn McPhaul, Betty Colligan, Fred Colligan, Ron Colligan, Leonard Egeler, Jr., Dick & Harriet Egeler, Fred & Pennie Egeler, Robert Dault, Al Egeler, and Bev & Don Haney. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 AM Monday, November 12, 2018 at St. Francis de Sales Church, 2929 McCracken Street, Muskegon, MI 49441 with Rev. Charles D. Hall presiding. Visitation will be held at The Lee Chapel, 6291 S. Harvey St., 231-798-1100 on Sunday, November 11, 2018 from 3:00 - 6:00 PM and on Monday from 9:45 - 10:45 AM prior to the service at St. Francis de Sales Church. MEMORIALS in Clara’s memory may be directed to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.
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