Bill Gravlin

William "Bill" Gravlin was a kind, considerate man who brought happiness into the lives of all who knew him. From downhill skiing to performing in several theatric plays, Bill's personality appreciated an adventure. However, being a dedicated father and loving husband was Bill's sole purpose in life and he cherished every moment he spent with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Although the early 1930's found most of the country deep in the throes of the Great Depression, good things were still happening. The Star Spangled Banner was adopted as our nation's national anthem, and the infamous Empire State Building was opened for the first time in New York City. For William H. and Rozella (Leggitt) Gravlin, life in Detroit, Michigan, was filled with days of delight and new adventures as they welcomed the birth of their son, William Edward, born on May 11, 1930.

The oldest of five children, Bill grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where he created many unforgettable childhood memories with his four younger siblings, Jeanine, Mike, Sharon and Steve. For education, he attended school at George Ford Elementary School, Tappen Junior High and graduated from McKenzie High School in 1949, although he almost didn't graduate because of a silly prank of carving his name into one of the desks. In high school, Bill participated in the drama club and his excellent performance in one of the school's plays earned him a scholarship to Cranbrook Summer Theater, which was the beginning of a lifelong passion for him.

In 1951, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas for boot camp. After completing his basic training, he served in the Army Security Agency at Fort Devon in Massachusetts, but was later sent overseas to Hokaido, Japan for two years during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge, Bill moved to Traverse City, Michigan and began working in the radio and television industry in a variety of jobs. He was Bozo the Clown for a while, Creative Director at WZZM TV and also did the WOOD Radio Traffic Watch. Bill finally settled into a job at the Grand Rapids Police Department in dispatch for 18 years.

Bill married for the first time when he was in his 30's. They happily adopted a son, Kim, and had a daughter together named Jenny. Their marriage eventually ended in divorce. During this time, Bill pursued his passion for the theater and was involved with both the Grand Rapids Civic Theater and the Cherry County Playhouse, which he very much loved. It was at the Summerfest of 1983, while Bill was in the play "Brigadoon" that he met his wife, Carol. After becoming acquainted, they began dating and were married two years later on December 26, 1989, on the Old Mission peninsula at the Bowers Harbor Inn near Traverse City. The couple settled down to married life together in a home they bought on Hunsburger Avenue in northeast Grand Rapids.

Carol brought more than just her love into Bill's life as she had three children from a previous marriage. Bill and Carol's children all got along well, and often vacationed together in the summers and on holidays. They enjoyed the warm climates of Florida and California, though Bill enjoyed downhill skiing too. At one time, he also had a road bike motorcycle for those open road adventures. When it came to relaxing, Bill liked to engross himself in a good book, particularly science fiction and history novels or books by his favorite author, Louis Lamour. Bill was a hearty eater and loved food of all kind. Breakfast was by far his favorite meal of the day, especially when Carol made it. His children fondly remember his Sunday morning donut runs and all the great treats he brought back for them. In his younger years, Bill was known to like a good scotch, but gave up drinking years ago.

After Bill retired from the GRPD in 1996, he and Carol moved to Traverse City, where they resided for 7 years. Bill took a part-time job as a parts runner at William Chevrolet. Once they were blessed with grandchildren, Bill and Carol wanted to be closer to their family and moved to South Haven, Michigan. Throughout much of his life, Bill was big on fitness and usually belonged to a health club. However, when he developed respiratory problems later in life, he had to cut back on his activities. In the last two years, Bill's respiratory problems became more apparent and just last Friday, while he was at the bank, Bill collapsed. He was immediately taken to South Haven Hospital and after being stabilized he was airlifted to the Meijer Heart Center at Spectrum Health - Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids where he died on Tuesday afternoon with his family by his side.

Kindhearted, generous, witty and caring were just some of Bill's incredible qualities that naturally drew people into his life. He lived a full and active life and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

William Edward "Bill" Gravlin, age 73 of South Haven, MI, formerly of Grand Rapids, passed away unexpectedly on November 22, 2005, at Spectrum Health - Butterworth Hospital. He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Carol Gravlin (Langdon); his children: Kim and Beverly Gravlin of St. Louis, MO, Jenny and David Prahl of Traverse City, Barry and Sherry Cobbley of Traverse City, Lonnie and Shawn Sommer of Aurora, IL, Josh and Jenny Cobbley of Seattle, WA; his grandchildren: Chelsie, Evan and Jordan Prahl, Lia Sommer, Emerson and Isabelle Cobbley, Brandy and Sam Young, Shaun and Rebecca Gravlin; his great grandchildren, Mya Young, Mason, Kaiden and Cynthia Gravlin; his sisters and brothers: Jeanine Baker of Twin Falls, ID, Mike and Chris Gravlin of Kaleva, MI, Sharon and Tony Montagnes of Newark, OH, Steve and Kitty Gravlin of Mt. Clemens, MI; many nieces, nephews and friends.

A service to celebrate the life of Bill will be held on Saturday, November 26, at 2:00 p.m. at First Evangelical Covenant Church, 1933 Tremont Blvd (east off Covell Ave. NW), with Rev. John Larson officiating. Relatives and friends can meet Bill's family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW on Saturday from 11:00 - 1:00 p.m. Please visit Bill's webpage at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory of Bill, sign his guest book or make a memorial contribution in his memory to the Grand Rapids Civic Theater.