Judge J. Theut

Judge George J. Theut, 85 of St.Ignace passed away peacefully Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18 at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital after suffering a massive stroke at home on Thursday, Feb. 16. Jack , as he was affectionately known, was born April 17.1926 in Centerline,MI. His parents were George L and Katherine (Weigand) Theut. He attended St.Clements for grade school and DeSalle Collegiate High School in Detroit. The day after graduation, he joined the United States Navy, and served 2 years on the USS Santee. He served in the Pacific Ocean during WWll. After being discharged from the Navy, he attended the University of Detroit for an undergraduate degree and earned a Law Degree from the University of Detoiit in 1952. He worked in the Macomb County Prosecutor\'s office and was with the management staff at the Chrysler Detroit Tank Plant. He moved to Rudyard as administrative assistant to the civil engineer at Kincheloe Air Force base for 8 years. He ran for Mackinac County Probate Judge in 1965 and served faithfully until his retirement 27 years later. As judge. he helped keep families together, as a war veteran; he was especially sensitive to the problems of veterans, who came to his Court. He was President of Michigan Probate Judges Association, served on the Michigan Task Force on Racial/Ethnic and Gender Issues in the Courts and the Legal Profession; served for 15 years on the Eastern UP Mental Health Board; and was a founding member of the Legal Aid for the Eastern Upper Peninsula. He also served as visitaing judge in Wayne County. He was a member of the VFW; Knights of Columbus; Member of the State Bar of Michigan; and a faithful member of St.Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church. He held a brokers and real estate license and worked in real estate since he was a young man. On October 11,1952 he married Betty Larson at St.Gregory\'s Catholic Church in Newberry, and she survives nealrly 60 years of a wonderful marriage. Also 7 children ; Mark Theut, Scottsdale, Arizona; Paul & Maria Theut, Phoenix; Chris and Kelly Theut, Phoenix; David and Rene Theut, Sault Ste. Marie, MI; Brian and Diana Theut, Scottsdale, Arizona; Dr. Susan Theut and her husband Buzz Bailey, Georgetown,DC; Annette and Keith Whitman, Escanaba; and 18 grand children. He was preceeded in death by his faher, George L. Theut in 1975; a sister Gertrude at 4 months old, and a grandson Andrew Whitman at 2 and a half years old in 2002. Friends may call at Dodson Funeral Home on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 4 to 8 pm with parish prayers at 8:30 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, February 23 at 11 am at St.Ignatius Church with Fr. Pawel Mecwel and Deacon Tom McClelland officiating. Burial will be in St.Ignatius Cemetery with military rites in the spring. Pallbearers will be Doug Goudreau; Daniel Wyers; David Crisp; Don Gustafson; Tim Collins; Mike Lilliquist. Honorary pallbearers will be Wes Maurer; John McKinnon; Barbara Brown; Charles Brown, Prentiss M. Brown Jr.; Tom Evashevski; Giz Brown; Stuart Spencer; Robert Butts; Beth Gibson; Clayton Graham, Tom North, Nick Lambros , Jerome LaJoice and Eric Dodson..

Tributes

Judge J. Theut

February 18, 2012