Obituary for Lyle D. Filkins
Lyle D. Filkins, beloved husband of the late Fannie Tekushan Filkins and father of Ellen (Karl) Davis, Stanley Filkins, Valerie (Mark) Morsfield, and Susan Filkins (James Beck), died peacefully on September 4, 2022.
We remember our dad for his kindness, generosity, devotion to family, and dry wit. He was sharp to the very end, joking with his family and caregivers and playing cards by proxy with his son and grandson two days before he passed away.
Born in East Lansing in 1926 to Stanley and Axie Filkins, Lyle left home a few days after he graduated from high school to volunteer in the Navy. He served for the remainder of World War II as a radio technician. When the war ended, he attended the University of Michigan on the GI Bill, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. After graduation, he met Fannie through mutual friends in Detroit, and they married in 1956. He worked for many years at U of M’s Transportation Research Institute, where he was known for developing procedures to get alcohol-impaired drivers off the road.
Lyle loved being outdoors. We are especially grateful for the hard work he and our mom put in so that we could camp in Michigan and around the country, enjoying the beauty of the national parks. He skied and raced well into his 80s and shot his age golfing at 84. After retirement, he served as a course rater for the Golf Association of Michigan, which included memorable trips to Japan and Scotland. He was also a longtime season ticket holder and fan of Michigan football and basketball.
Throughout his life, Dad was an excellent card player. In his later years, he enjoyed playing with family, on teams, and at St. Joseph’s Village. At the age of 92, he finished first among 140 players in the Tri-County Sportmen’s euchre league.
Both Mom and Dad were faithful members of St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, where he served on the vestry and as church treasurer.
In addition to his children and their spouses, he is survived by his grandchildren, Katherine (Zachary) Meyer, Mark (Rachma) Morsfield, Lauren (Michael) Tinaglia, Julie (Tallak) Behm, Michael (Hannah) Davis, and Gregory Morsfield; nephews, Craig Velte, Mark Tekushan, and Terry Tekushan; and great-grandchildren, Lucy and Norah Meyer and Cecilia and Rosalie Behm.
A private interment has taken place at Arborcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorial Service will take place 11:00 am on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at St. Clare's Episcopal Church, 2309 Packard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. A light lunch reception will be held afterward in the St. Clare's social hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Clare’s Episcopal Church/Ark Fund or The Nature Conservancy.
We remember our dad for his kindness, generosity, devotion to family, and dry wit. He was sharp to the very end, joking with his family and caregivers and playing cards by proxy with his son and grandson two days before he passed away.
Born in East Lansing in 1926 to Stanley and Axie Filkins, Lyle left home a few days after he graduated from high school to volunteer in the Navy. He served for the remainder of World War II as a radio technician. When the war ended, he attended the University of Michigan on the GI Bill, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering. After graduation, he met Fannie through mutual friends in Detroit, and they married in 1956. He worked for many years at U of M’s Transportation Research Institute, where he was known for developing procedures to get alcohol-impaired drivers off the road.
Lyle loved being outdoors. We are especially grateful for the hard work he and our mom put in so that we could camp in Michigan and around the country, enjoying the beauty of the national parks. He skied and raced well into his 80s and shot his age golfing at 84. After retirement, he served as a course rater for the Golf Association of Michigan, which included memorable trips to Japan and Scotland. He was also a longtime season ticket holder and fan of Michigan football and basketball.
Throughout his life, Dad was an excellent card player. In his later years, he enjoyed playing with family, on teams, and at St. Joseph’s Village. At the age of 92, he finished first among 140 players in the Tri-County Sportmen’s euchre league.
Both Mom and Dad were faithful members of St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, where he served on the vestry and as church treasurer.
In addition to his children and their spouses, he is survived by his grandchildren, Katherine (Zachary) Meyer, Mark (Rachma) Morsfield, Lauren (Michael) Tinaglia, Julie (Tallak) Behm, Michael (Hannah) Davis, and Gregory Morsfield; nephews, Craig Velte, Mark Tekushan, and Terry Tekushan; and great-grandchildren, Lucy and Norah Meyer and Cecilia and Rosalie Behm.
A private interment has taken place at Arborcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorial Service will take place 11:00 am on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at St. Clare's Episcopal Church, 2309 Packard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. A light lunch reception will be held afterward in the St. Clare's social hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Clare’s Episcopal Church/Ark Fund or The Nature Conservancy.