Billy Loy

Billy Richard Loy died on Thursday April 7, 2011 at the age of 86. Bill was born August 10, 1924 in Ovid, Michigan. He married Bette Jean Harris March 29, 1945 in Corunna MI. Bill and Bette settled in Midland, MI in 1949 where they lived until 1985. After their retirement, Bill and Bette moved from Midland and spent their winters in Florida (most recently in Lake Placid) and summers in Central Lake, MI. Bill's last wish was that he lived long enough to take care of Bette as she battled ovarian cancer. He was granted that wish, taking wonderful care of her until she died on September 23, 2006.

Bill graduated from Durand High School in 1942. After high school, he took quantitative chemical analysis summer courses at Central Michigan University and worked a short time at The Dow Chemical Company in Midland MI before volunteering for the USNCB [Seabees] 1943-1945. After an honorable discharge from the Pacific theater, he obtained a BS in Chemistry degree from the University of Michigan in 1949 and returned to Dow Chemical in Midland as a Research Chemist with a brief intermission for the Korean War (1950-1952). While at Dow, he earned a MS in Chemistry (1966) and a public teacher's certificate (1978) from Michigan State University. He worked in the Analytical Laboratory specializing in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Electron Spin Resonance, Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Gel Permeation Chromatography, Differential Thermal Analysis, Gas Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry and authored 16 publications. Bill retired from Dow Chemical in 1981 with 35 years of service. He then worked as a self employed contractor for Dow from 1981-1986.

While the last few years has been challenging for Bill, he enjoyed many years of good health and happiness. Bill and Bette enjoyed traveling and took many trips including one to Hawaii, Germany, Mexico, fishing in remote Canada and most recently an Alaskan Cruise, driving from Michigan to Washington to Florida at the age of 80. He was a computer expert serving on the Naples Free Net board and helped many friends and family as well as maintaining several web pages. Bill became very interested in genealogy and did extensive work on both his mother's and his father's ancestry. Even though he spent some years at MSU, he was a die hard Michigan fan.

Bill was a faithful member of the church of Christ, serving as an Elder in the Midland MI congregation. He leaves numerous friends in congregations in East Jordan, Traverse City, Midland, Naples FL and Lake Placid FL, and Columbia City, IN. His faith sustained him thru his life and during recent years as he accepted the loss of his best friend, Bette and dealt with the effects of his disabling illness. He never was that concerned about the future as he waited to "see what God has planned" for him.

His sense of humor sustained his family as they accompanied him on his journey these past few years. No matter how bleak things appeared, his quick smile and quirky jokes made things more bearable.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Kay (Jerry) Conklin of Midland MI, Pat (Chuck) Miller of South Whitley IN and Debbi Anderson of Amarillo, Texas and many grandchildren and several great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Glenn (Marilyn) Loy and his sister, Suzanne Whitehearse. In addition to his beloved wife, Bette, he was predeceased by his parents Augustus Loy and Marguerite Derr; his step father Cecil Derr; his sons Bob and Rich; his son-in-law, Pierce Anderson; his sisters Jane Harris and Barbara White and several brother in laws, nieces and nephews, in particular his birthday twin niece, Linda Loy.

Funeral services for Bill will be held Saturday April 16, at 2:00 p.m. at Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes, 2333 S. Main St., Central Lake MI. Interment will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Ovid MI Sunday April 17, at 1:00 p.m. The family will receive friends Friday, April 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, from 1 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Village of Hope, c/o Ghana West Africa Missions, PO Box 40, Searcy AR 72145 (http://www.ghanamission.org/) or Lewy Body Dementia Organization c/o LBDA, 912 Killian Hill Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047 or https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/LewyBodyDementiaLBD/OnlineDonation.html

Please sign his online guestbook www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com