Obituaries

David Leslie Johnson

of Saline, Michigan, formerly of Ann Arbor, age 83, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Linden Square Senior Care in Saline. He was born September 24, 1942, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Bervin Andrew and Carol (Seaver) Johnson.  David went to Whitehall High School, graduating in 1960. He then went on to study drafting at Ferris State College. David was a Design Engineer, working for Ford Motor Company in the Dearborn Design Center for over 30 years. He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. David enjoyed his morning coffee in retirement and not doing anything before 11:00 am. 

Alan Mark Laeder

Alan Mark Laeder, age 67, passed away March 23, 2026, at his home in Chelsea. He was born December 7, 1958, in Monroe, Michigan, the son of Leroy and Betty (Sachs) Laeder.

Alan was a caregiver and friend to many in the community. He was a practical joker and prankster. He was giving and had a generous heart. Alan worked with children in the special ed program, was a hospital tech, and worked at the post office before retiring.

Alan was raised in the Lutheran church and attended St. John's Lutheran in Midland, where he also attended grade school and was taught by his dad.

Thomas Toon

Age 84, passed away at his home Sunday, March 29, 2026. He was born March 24, 1942 in Ann Arbor, MI, the son of Harry Edward and Maxine Dolores (Koeppen) Toon.

Tom graduated from Dexter High School in 1960. He then went on to Eastern Michigan University for his undergrad in Chemistry. Tom completed his PhD in English from U of M in eighteen months. He was a Professor at the University of Utah for three years. He then became a Professor at the University of Michigan teaching English and Linguistics for 47 years, and held the position of Chair of Linguistics and Chair of Undergraduate Studies several times. He was also on the Committee for the Middle English Dictionary. Tom spent part of each year living and researching in England for nineteen years. He took students from U of M to England several times as part of the summer program. He was a Tibetan Buddhist. Tom enjoyed archeology, cooking, gardening, Sudoku and watching birds on the feeder. Tom was gifted with a high level of intelligence, easy going nature, and was a very kind person. He was a life-long Democrat believing in equality for all and was active in Chelsea’s LGBTQ community.

Paul Gene Denton

Paul Gene Denton passed away at the age of 96 on Saturday, March 21, 2026. He was blessed to be sleeping peacefully at home with his family nearby.

Paul was born February 2,1930 in Barlow, Kentucky, the son of Paul Furman and Florence Gertrude Denton. Shortly after his birth they moved to Jackson, Michigan, where the family lived until 1940 when they moved to Dexter. Paul graduated from Dexter High School, Class of ‘48. He was drafted into the Army in 1951 and trained and served as a helicopter mechanic in Oklahoma, until his discharge in 1953. He had no college education but with the help of several mentors who believed in his self-motivation and determination, he learned to fly at the Ann Arbor Airport. He was hired as a Co-Pilot by North Central Airlines in 1958 and flew out of Willow Run Airport until the 70’s when he became a PIC (Pilot in Command) Captain for Northwest Airlines, flying out of Metro Airport. He was a Captain’s Captain and was well-respected among his peers. He loved flying.