Gerald Glave

Gerald Carl “Jerry” Glave age 81 of Ithaca, MI passed away Monday, January 1, 2017 at Masonic Pathways, Alma, MI.

Jerry was born in Saginaw, MI on June 27, 1935, the son of Karl and Francis (Chowaniec) Glave.  He graduated from Saginaw High School.  He worked as a telephone installer for Michigan Bell Telephone in Saginaw, retiring in 1994 after 38 years of service. He was a proud member of the Armed Forces, serving from 1954-56 with the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, NC.

Jerry loved the outdoors. He spent his days gardening, mowing and hunting in northern Michigan in his younger years. The past decade, he spent most of his summers at their cottage on Diamond Lake in White Cloud, MI.

He was loved by many and had his unique way of finding a connection. He was an avid reader and loved learning. Between his knowledge of many things and his generosity, he built many wonderful relationships, which also included the neighborhood dogs. He had a soft heart for those furry creatures and they visited Jerry on a daily basis.

Jerry was married to Carol (Ebnit) Howes for 39 years. He had two sons; Karl “Cully” and Matthew (Anita) Glave, stepdaughter Rhonda (Todd) Belden and granddaughters; Isabela Frisbey, Madeline and Roxanne Glave, Emma, Anna and Ainsleigh Belden, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; Larry (Carol) Ebnit and Vicki (Wesley) Litwiller, nieces and nephews; Kris (Steven) Appel, Karen Holder, Jim (Merci) Ostrander, Angela Gannon, Adam and Aaron Ebnit, Allison (Andrew) Webb, Andrew (Laura) Ebnit and several grandnieces and nephews.  Jerry is preceded in death by his son Karl, sister Joyce (Glave) Wescoat and brother-in-law Donald Wescoat.

A Memorial Service is scheduled to be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, 1333 E. Center Street, Ithaca, MI on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.  Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10am – 12pm.

Jerry had a joy in giving to the Salvation Army every Christmas, where he would fill his pocket with dollar bills and never pass a red kettle. So, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, 425 Republic Ave, Alma, MI  48801.  Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Ithaca, Michigan.