Michael Norman Wilson of Manchester, formerly of Belleville, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Garden City and Cheboygan; At age 69, died Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at the home of friends in Manchester, where he found respite and was living intermittently for several years. He was born January 24, 1951, in Detroit, the son of Norman Delbert Wilson and Mary (Butler) Wilson. He was the youngest of 11 children growing up on a poultry farm in Belleville.
He served in the US Army , during the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1972, where he was a decorated combat infantryman.
Mike was a career truck driver for a mid-sized Michigan based company where he received a Million Mile Safe Driving Award. Due to a serious illness he was no longer able to continue this work.
Although he was homeless since 2004, he was a valuable member of our community. Private individuals and small business owners in the Ann Arbor community contributed to his wellbeing for many years. He was stubbornly independent and strived to repay his debts. Despite battling physical and mental challenges, he always showed integrity and honesty.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He is survived by loving friends, Andre & Lori Marcoux, and his church family at Zion Lutheran Church (Chelsea).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 30, at 1:00 pm, at the home of Andre and Lori Marcoux, 10450 Parr Rd, Manchester, 48158. with Pastor Kathy Tulman officiating. A private burial will take place at a later time. Memorial contributions may be made to Zion Lutheran Church for burial expenses, or to MISSION Ann Arbor to continue their efforts toward assisting the community of people who are homeless. Arrangements were entrusted to Cole Funeral Chapel in Chelsea.
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Comments
We met Mike through Andre and Lori, who showed me how to be kind to fellow human beings who are not necessarily relatives. We learned how a homeless person had to jump through hoops to get another copy of his stolen birth certificate in order to get benefits! Mike showed us many aspects of life that we might not have had a chance to know. We hope to be as kind as Andre and Lori.
My heart is heavy, and I have tears streaming down my face as I write this. But I am comforted by the fact that he didn't die alone and that he had such caring friends and a comfortable place to live in the years since I have seen him. I will miss him. Bless you, Lori and Andre. (2/2)
As I got to know him better over the years, I would ask him if there was anything that he needed, and I was always glad that I found a home for some of our gently used belongings when he would name a few items that he could use.And he never asked for much. :) One of my favorite memories is how appreciative he was when I gave him some peaches from Costco. The next time I saw him, he told me how delicious they were.
I haven't seen him in a few years, in part because I went back to work in February of 2017, so I couldn't get lunch at McDonald's anymore. (1/2)
Your friend, Lori