Georgiana A. Viele

Georgiana (Dicaire) Viele entered eternal life early in the morning of Saturday, January 20, 2018.  She was born on June 22, 1929 in Flint, Michigan, and lived much of her adult life in Lansing.   After raising her family, she worked for the Lansing Police Department.  Her home on S. Washington Ave. somehow managed to contain the commotion caused by four sons followed by, to even the score, four daughters.  She was preceded in death by her husband Benjamin Viele, her six brothers and sisters, and one grandchild.  She leaves behind her eight children, as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was short of stature, but could command a room anytime she wished, which was often.  This made her the focal point at family gatherings large and small, from Christmas and Easter dinners to tea parties and fingernail painting excursions. Her house and gardens were refined, pleasing to the eye and spirit, and frequently redecorated as the mood struck her.

She was always on-the-go: coffee with friends; services at St. Casimir or meetings for her beloved quilting and gardening groups; a grandchild’s school event.  She produced prize-winning quilts as though her upstairs crafting room was an assembly line, each unique and treasured by her family and others fortunate enough to receive one, a constant reminder of her creativity.   She wisely abstained from discussing politics or sports rivalries, focusing her attention on what really matters: Monk vs. Murder, She Wrote, both of which she enjoyed at a volume that was typically loud enough to wake the neighbors.  Her home constantly sang with classical music from a little radio in her kitchen.  She danced without care or concern at family weddings to rap songs she’d never before heard, traveled the country and world whenever she could, and enjoyed an occasional beer so long as you didn’t make the mistake of serving it in a can or bottle.

The story of her life is thus: She loved her family immensely, without reservation or judgment, and they her.  In the course of her many years she suffered loss and trials.  Her Catholic faith and loving family sustained her.  Georgiana’s body eventually bowed to time and age, but her soul stood erect through all that God had planned for her.  She now dances with Him, the saints, and her family and friends who came before her, while she waits for those who will follow.  Requiescat in pace, Mother.

The Funeral Mass will take place at 11:00 on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, at St. Casimir Catholic Church located at 815 Sparrow Ave. Lansing, MI.  The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2018, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, where the Rosary will be prayed at 8:00 p.m.  Memorial Contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.