Charles "Chuck" Baryames

Chuck Baryames, of East Lansing, died peacefully with dignity and surrounded by his family, at Bickford of Okemos on August 1, 2012, due to Alzheimer’s disease. He was 91. At the time of his death his wife, Rosalie was by his side. He and Rosalie were married for 62 years. He said his decision to marry Rosalie was the “best decision he ever made.” He was born February 14, 1921.

Mr. Baryames had five children: Cindy Basing (Tracy) of Plymouth, MI and Nanjing, China; Angie King (Dave) of Ann Arbor; Art Baryames of East Lansing; Katina Baryames (Steve Lowe) of Haslett; and Bonnie Gwozdecky (George) of Denver, CO. He was blessed with 7 treasured grandchildren: Ted and Alex Basing; Ashley and Chuck Baryames; Luke and Adam King and Adrienne Gwozdecky. He was also a much beloved uncle and godfather.

Mr. Baryames was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Helen Baryames, his six sisters, Jennie, Margaret, Delia, Marie, Christine and Angie and his one brother Chris.

Mr. Baryames was born in Chicago and moved to Lansing when he was 1 year old. As a young boy he worked alongside his father, shining shoes and selling newspapers on the corner of Washington and Washtenaw Streets in downtown Lansing. He said he did not mind working on Christmas day because of the generous tips he received from his customers. Throughout his life he kept a wooden shoe shine chair in his office to remind him of those important years.

In 1938, he enrolled at MSU on an ROTC scholarship and joined the SAE fraternity. In June 1942, he graduated from MSU with a business degree. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army and was a field artillery unit commander in the legendary 29th Division. On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), Mr. Baryames and the rest of the 29th Division crossed the English Channel headed to Omaha Beach, Normandy France. The brave infantry soldiers suffered massive casualties during the invasion which caused a bottleneck on Omaha Beach. Mr. Baryames’ unit, with the heavy field artillery guns was unable to land on the beach until D-Day plus 1. Less than 2 weeks later, he was wounded by a sniper’s bullet in the arm near St. Lo, France. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart for his military service during the war.

In 1946, Mr. Baryames returned to Lansing. He and his brother began a drycleaning and laundry business called Baryames Cleaners. The first store was located in downtown Lansing. In the early 1970’s the business was expanded with the addition of Baryames Tuxedo. Today Baryames Cleaners is owned and operated by his son, Art and Baryames Tuxedo by his daughter Katina.

Mr. Baryames was a proud member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and AH EPA. He served as the head of the Building Committee which resulted in the construction of the present day church.

Visiting hours will be from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Sunday with a Trisagion service at 7:30 p.m. at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel located on Washtenaw Street in Lansing. A funeral service to honor Mr. Baryames’ life will take place at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Monday, August 6th at 11:00 a.m. He will be laid to rest at the Evergreen Cemetery in Lansing. A luncheon will immediately follow at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Friends and family are all welcome to attend. The family wishes to sincerely thank the Bickford of Okemos staff for the gentle and attentive care given to our Dad. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Iconography fund or Michigan State University scholarship fund.

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6 Messages to “Charles "Chuck" Baryames

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brian gallimore
August 2, 2012 at 2:24 am

I remember when he filled in for art for about a week,had passion and energy. brian former driver-custodian. he had a yellow olds omega with a stick shift,most had automatics. he was a good guy.

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Dean & Ginny Bartges
August 2, 2012 at 1:24 pm

Uncle Chuck was a good man and very passionate to his fellow man.
I always looked forward to visiting him and the family when we made our trips to East Lansing. He made me feel comfortable and always instilled confidence in my athletic endeavors. He was never negative towards people and always upbeat plus a very charitable individual. His stories from the “old” days involving his family were funny, especially the ones about my mother, his sister Margaret. I still fondly have his letters that he sent to her during W. W. II which revealed a lot about his great character. Unfortunately they don’t make them like him anymore.
May his memory be eternal.

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Karen Lovejoy Roe
August 6, 2012 at 3:51 pm

Dearest Angela and family,

The obituary is absolutely beautiful. It was very personal and a wonderful life tribute to a great man. Everything was very peaceful and gorgegous at the funeral home. I pray that today the funeral went well as you sent your father home to his resting place. May God grant you a time of good fellowship with all your loved ones. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Love, Karen

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George Nugent
August 8, 2012 at 4:52 pm

Chuck was a true gentleman and fine businessman. We were fraternity brothers, although many years apart in school, and he lived up to the standards and motto of SAE. I had not seen Chuck in several years but have fond memories of times we were able to chat.

My deepest sympathy to the family for your loss.

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Harry Chandler
August 9, 2012 at 11:35 am

Mr. Baryames was a great man who loved his family and friends very much. Smiling was second nature to him; I never once heard him upset. We’d sit together night after night, eating figs and watching O’reily Factor until he fell asleep. He was an angel here and now an angel in Heaven. My condolences to the Baryames family…love you all

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Katherine Hills
November 19, 2013 at 8:10 pm

My sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to the family.
My first job was at Baryames Cleaners in Lansing, Michigan.
I always looked forward to seeing Mr. Baryames.

May he rest in peace and be forever remembered.

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