John Overton

JOHN RANDALL OVERTON OBITUARY

John Randall Overton, most recently of Charlevoix, passed on suddenly Wednesday morning,
November 11, 2015, at his place of residence.

Born May 30, 1933, near Bangor, Michigan, John was the third child of Kenneth and Margaret
Overton. He never knew his birth mother, who passed in her sleep the day after John was born.
Paternal grandparents, Miller and Ivy Overton stepped in to fill the void until father Kenneth
married Donna Weed two years later. Five boys came along, and Donna Overton was the only
mother John ever knew. John and his siblings grew up learning the value of hard work and
contributing to the family welfare, milking cows and harvesting cash crops from May until
Thanksgiving, annually.

Graduating from Bangor High School in 1951, John left the farm for college at Michigan State
University. He married Shirley Leigh, daughter of an MSU professor, during his junior year at
MSU and there followed sixty years of happy marriage. His career took him around the world
working with the State Department in developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America.
John and Shirley were blessed with four children, three girls and a boy: Kathy (San Diego), Sheri
(Las Vegas), Laurie, (Portland, Oregon) and Randy (Honolulu). Having lost his beloved wife in
April, 2014, John made the move from Portland, Oregon, back to Michigan, in May, 2015,
where he found a welcoming home in Charlevoix, close to brother Steve, and his roots in
southwest Michigan. A daily dip in Lake Charlevoix, weather permitting, was a great joy for
him; he loved the cold water.

Though his time in Charlevoix was relatively short, he found a home that he loved, made lots of
good friends and felt very blessed. He is survived by his four children, five grandchildren and six
of his siblings.

A memorial service for family and friends to celebrate his life will be held at the Christian
Science Society on Clinton Street in Charlevoix, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015.