John R. Wilcox

Lansing, MI

Born April 6, 1930, in Ionia, Michigan, to Elsie (Wanink) and Clare Wilcox, passed into eternal life January 5, 2018.

Known as “Jack” to his hometown friends and relatives, and “Geep” to his great-grandchildren, he graduated from Ionia High School in 1948 and attended Central Michigan University. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War.

On April 18, 1953 he married Doris Kohns of Capac, Michigan, and they started their life in Lansing. He worked in a variety of jobs at Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, retiring in 1990, after 41 years as Supervisor of Vehicle Forecasting in the Sales and Analysis department He was very involved in his children’s lives, and was active as Scoutmaster and in other leadership roles while his sons were in Scouts, and served the Boy Scouts at the District and Council levels. He was an avid reader and loved music and baseball (especially the Tigers and the Cubs) He and Doris traveled extensively, and enjoyed taking their grandchildren on trips. After retirement, he volunteered with the Red Cross and was active in AARP and Neighborhood Watch. He was a member of Mayflower Congregational Church and an avid member of the Motor City Rockets, an Oldsmobile enthusiast club.

John was predeceased by his wife, Doris. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Wilcox of Lansing; sons, Steven (Christine) Wilcox of Lansing and Alan (Sandra) Wilcox of Milford; grandchildren, Jan (Christopher) Davidson, Fran (Christopher) Czuk, Stephanie (John) Stanley, Bethany Wilcox, Kelsey Wilcox, and Emily Wilcox; great-grandchildren, Elena, Peter and Hannah Czuk, Jack Davidson, and Josie Stanley; sister, Elizabeth Murphy; and several nieces, nephews  and cousins.

The funeral service will be held on Friday, January 12, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, with a visitation hour prior to the service, starting at 10 a.m. The family will also receive friends at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 11, 2018. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, the Boy Scouts of America, or Mayflower Congregational Church.  The family would like to say thank you to the staff of Sparrow Hospital for the wonderful care they provided.