Clifford Ruben Waybrant

Clifford Ruben Waybrant, of Pickford, Michigan, died Saturday, February 28, 2015, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the day after his 92nd birthday. His family was at his side. He was born February 27, 1923 in Stalwart, Michigan, to James Clifford and Sarah Alice (Izzard) Waybrant. Rube grew up in Stalwart and Newberry, Michigan with his family moving between the two towns as work was available. He attended school in both communities until age 13 when he began working with his father as a lumberjack. Rube served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. He married Ethel Berniece Crawford on May 28, 1944 in Reno, Nevada. In May 1947, he entered the United States Coast Guard where he served in the Great Lakes Region (Sault Ste. Marie, Iroquois Light in Brimley, and Algoma, Wisconsin) for several years before serving in Juneau, in the Alaskan Territory. In 1957, Rube left the Coast Guard and moved on to work dredging the St. Lawrence Seaway in Ogdensburg, New York. Rube was hired as a maintenance engineer with the U. S. Civil Service and worked at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Gwinn, as powerhouse shift supervisor at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, at Kincheloe Air Force Base where he was maintenance supervisor of the hospital when the base was closing, and finally at the Coast Guard Base in Sault Ste. Marie. He had a total of 33 ½ years of service including both military and civil service. After retiring, his last few years of work were with his son Jeff, as a lumberjack once again. Rube was a member of the Pickford Presbyterian Church, Raber Senior Citizens, Good Sam’s Club, and a life member of the Disabled American Veterans. He was also a life member of the Les Cheneaux Masonic Lodge and more recently attended the Masonic Lodge in Sault Ste. Marie. He served as Worshipful Master multiple times and in many other offices. Rube was a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, Valley of Marquette and a member of Shrine Ahmed Temple. Rube enjoyed playing softball, hunting, and tinkering with anything mechanical. Rube enjoyed traveling and after he retired, he and Berniece traveled in RV’s ranging in size from really big to very small. They toured the country visiting friends and relatives, and stayed in camp with their Good Sam Club friends. Rube is survived by five children, Ronald C. (Ruth E.) Waybrant of Grand Rapids, Michigan, James R. (Francie) Waybrant of Newberry, Jean C. (Timothy) Florian of Lawton, Michigan, Ruth E. (Wayne) MacDonald of Pickford, and Jeffrey A. (Barbara) Waybrant of Buffalo, Wyoming; grandchildren, Meredith (Greg Martin) Waybrant, Nathaniel Waybrant, Zachary (Christyn)Florian, Ruben (Elizabeth) Florian, Rosanna (Matt Wood) Florian, Katie (Paul) Wood, Joel (Jaime) MacDonald, Alisha Waybrant, and Sean Waybrant; and great grandchildren, Mathias Florian, Caely Florian, Fiona Florian, Aiden Roberts, Luke Florian, Lauryn Wood, Ryan Wood, Nick Wood, Andrew MacDonald, Parker MacDonald, and Kendra MacDonald. He is also survived by one sister, Dorothy Fox of Manistique, Michigan. Rube was preceded in death by his wife, Berniece in 2008; and brothers, Thomas, John, Charles, and Norman Waybrant. Visitation will be held Sunday, March 15, 2015 from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at R. Galer Funeral Home, 24549 S. M-129 in Pickford, Michigan. A Masonic Service will begin at 4:00 P.M. followed by a Memorial Service conducted by Reverend Jessica Paulsen. Interment will be in the Stalwart Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to LSSU Foundation, Waybrant Family Scholarship Fund, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783.

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Clifford Ruben Waybrant

February 27, 1923 - February 28, 2015