Mr. Thomas Lee Wakefield's Obituary
Mr. Thomas Lee Wakefield, 73, passed away Friday, October 5, 2018 at Spectrum Butterworth with his wife Brenda by his side. Tom was born April 11, 1945 to Eugene and Eileen (Plumley) Wakefield in Muskegon, and was a lifelong resident. Tom was the owner of Port City Cab and Yellow Cab in Muskegon. He also was the owner of Port City Cab in Grand Rapids and Yellow Cab in Kalamazoo from 1980 to 2010. Tom started in the cab business at a young age and he was very proud of his establishments. His legacy will continue with his wife operating them. Tom enjoyed life to its fullest. He was an avid boater, taking trips throughout Lake Michigan, the Atlantic Ocean, and the intercostals of Florida and the Keys. He was a member of the Mona Lake Boat Club and TLPA. Tom also loved riding his Harley, taking trips to Sturgis, Daytona and Colorado. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, taking trips throughout the Unites States and the Caribbean. He served with the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine and the U.S. Army. With everything Tom did and was involved with, his greatest love was his family. On September 21, 1996 he married Brenda L. Southland, and she survives him along with 6 children: Daniel, Thomas and Jessica Wakefield, Tricia (Derek) Marihugh, Samuel Thomas (Emily) Wakefield, Christine (Larry) Shepard; 7 grandchildren: Jordan, Keenen, Karsen, Avri, Elizabeth, Sarah and Jonathan; brother-in-law, Bret Southland; sister-in-law, Tiffany Southland; nephew, Tyler; and nieces, Hartley, Whitney and Patty. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Samuel. The funeral service will be Saturday, October 13, at 1:00 PM at Forest Park Covenant Church. Interment will take place at Mona View Cemetery. Visitation at The Lee Chapel, 6291 S. Harvey St., (231) 798-1100 will be Friday evening, October 12, from 5-7PM. You may visit the family’s online guestbook at www.sytsemafh.com. Contributions in memory of Mr. Wakefield may be made to the Johnson Family Cancer Center.
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